Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reveals ‘hard’ reality of back-to-back ring chasing

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander knows it’s quite difficult to win a championship in the NBA. He knows it’s even harder to repeat in winning titles, something that the Thunder fell short of achieving after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander proudly got the Thunder to the mountaintop last year, beating the Indiana Pacers in seven games in the 2025 NBA Finals. He did this while winning the regular-season MVP award, prompting the need for him and the team to maintain a level as one of the top squads in the league.

While Gilgeous-Alexander defended his MVP throne, he was unable to help the Thunder retain their title throne after falling to the Spurs. He reflected on the series loss after the Game 7 defeat, per reporter Clemente Almanza. It was there where he admitted the level of difficulty when it comes to attempting a title repeat.

“Winning an NBA championship is very hard in itself,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

SGA on not going back-to-back: “Winning an NBA championship is very hard in itself.” pic.twitter.com/ELIsSZLniq

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) May 31, 2026

How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder played against Spurs

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder certainly put up a tough fight after going the distance with the Spurs. However, the injuries they suffered were too much to overcome as they won’t return to the NBA Finals this year.

Five players scored in double-digits for Oklahoma City in the loss, including Gilgeous-Alexander. He finished with a stat line of 35 points, nine assists, four rebounds, three steals, and a block. He shot 12-of-21 from the field, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. Cason Wallace came next with 17 points and seven rebounds, Alex Caruso and Jared McCain scored 12 points each, while Jaylin Williams provided 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Thunder finished the regular season with a 64-18 record, securing first in the West. They swept the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers before falling to the Spurs. They hope to regroup for next season, knowing they have a lot of talent in store to continue competing at a high level.

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