Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Real About Jordan Comparisons
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Real About Jordan Comparisons & Who’s Always In His Playlist
For its annual sports issue, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander appears on Billboard alongside singer Giveon and their manager, Simon Gebrelul, cofounder of ISLA Management.
The cover breaks down how both stars have persevered in music and sports, and how Gebrelul is helping them transcend their lanes to build a stronger brand.
“Simon came to my life as a friend first, and our relationship was organic,” SGA says of Gebrelul. “I had an approach on the court that I hadn’t really homed in with longevity and being professional. He showed me how to take that approach on the business side of life. From there, everything skyrocketed. He unlocked a bunch of doors that I hadn’t even seen. He changed my life.”
Elsewhere in the cover story, the Oklahoma City Thunder frontman discusses being only 27 and already earning his first NBA title and MVP honors, yet remaining hungry.
“I always say this: When I was a kid, I picked up a basketball to see how good I could become. My goals and aspirations were on a list — and were things that happened along the way — but my final [goal] has always been seeing what I can become. I’d like to think I’m far from that.”
A penchant for winning so early in his career and a locked-in game have drawn Michael Jordan comparisons, which Gilgeous Alexander can’t completely get behind.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t flattering,” Gilgeous-Alexander begins. “Being in conversations with a guy like that — who is the face of basketball — is pretty insane. Honestly speaking, I don’t really love them just because he’s three-peated twice, what he did for the sneaker business — and everything he’s been to the game — I think it’s a disservice to compare me seven years in to what he’s been. So, I don’t love them, but I appreciate them. That’s what I’m after, that’s what I’m chasing, and that’s what I’m striving for.”
SGA also gave a peek at what makes it onto his playlists nowadays, admitting he doesn’t vary from a handful of artists.
“I listen to four artists religiously: Giv, Drake, [Lil] Yachty, and Justin Bieber. Two rappers and two singers. Those are my defaults. And then I just mix rappers in every now and then. If we’re on the plane, the vibes are a little different. So I have to work the room and not just play what I want to play. (Laughs.)”
Read the rest of Billboard’s 2026 The Sports Issue here.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gets Real About Jordan Comparisons & Who’s Always In His Playlist was originally published on cassiuslife.com
