LeBron James doesn’t throw around comparisons to Michael Jordan lightly, which is exactly why his latest take on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is turning heads across the league.
James pointed directly to Shai’s scoring profile and efficiency, drawing a rare parallel to one of the greatest to ever do it.
“Every time you look at the efficiency, you look at the box scores, and you see Shai 38, it’s like 13 for 17 from the floor, you know, the other night I think he had 40 something, I think it was like 15 for 19,” James said speaking on the Mind The Game podcast.
“That’s one of my favorite things about players, like you know, I mean, that’s because how I am, I love efficient players. Like you know can go out can do the things on the floor, be efficient, you know, not taking too many bad shots, I mean, if you get on a heater, you want to take a heat check or two, I get it.
“We all have our nights where we don’t shoot, you know, to our capabilities, I mean that just comes with the game. But yeah, I think that’s one of the things I love about Shai is just like for him to play on the perimeter as much as he does, playing at mid-range as much as he does and still be as super efficient as he is. It’s Jordan-esque.”
The numbers back it up. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.5 assists while shooting 55.2 percent from the field, 38.3 percent from three, and 88.0 percent from the free-throw line, elite efficiency at high volume.
He’s also delivered historic consistency, setting a new NBA record with 138 straight regular-season games scoring at least 20 points, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s previous mark of 126.
That production has translated directly to winning. The Oklahoma City Thunder sit atop the league at 62-16, with Shai driving one of the most dominant seasons in franchise history.
READ MORE: Lakers Postseason Uncertain as Luka Doncic Seeks Treatment Overseas