Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is known as one of the NBA’s brightest stars, but he keeps his personal beliefs largely to himself. He often bows his head in silent prayer before games and has quietly thanked “the Lord” after victories, but has not publicly announced a specific religion.
Quick Profile: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
| Full Name | Shaivonte Aician “Shai” Gilgeous-Alexander |
| Born | July 12, 1998 (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Position | Guard (Point Guard / Shooting Guard) |
| Team | Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) |
| College | University of Kentucky |
| NBA Draft | 2018, Round 1, Pick 11 (Charlotte Hornets, traded to L.A. Clippers) |
| Religion | Unknown |
What Religion Is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does not publicly list a religion, and he rarely discusses faith in interviews. According to accounts from Thunder games, he participates in the team’s pregame invocation ritual, bowing his head in quiet prayer before tip-off– but otherwise lets his play speak for him. The Thunder have a long-standing tradition of a center-court prayer or invocation before games, so seeing Gilgeous-Alexander bow his head is natural for a player on that team. However, he has never officially announced whether he is Christian (or of any other faith).
Media outlets note that after wins he’s made thankful comments (“I thank God…” or “blessings…”), but these have been shared on social media by fans, not in major news interviews. Gilgeous-Alexander keeps his spiritual life private, he was raised in a Christian-environment school and prays publicly, yet he simply credits “faith and gratitude” rather than stating a denomination. As one Thunder observer put it, the team’s pregame prayer “honors God and acknowledges His authority” as part of the culture, but Gilgeous-Alexander himself simply shows quiet respect and thanks rather than preaching any theology.
Early Life
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was born on July 12, 1998, in Toronto and raised in nearby Hamilton, Ontario. His family has strong athletic roots, his mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, was an Olympic-level sprinter for Antigua and Barbuda, and his father, Vaughn, is of Antiguan descent and was a high-school basketball standout. After his parents separated when Shai was 10, he moved to Hamilton with his mother, who emphasized a humble, hard-working upbringing. Even from early on he showed a fierce work ethic, he was cut from his high school junior team in grade 9 but famously bounced back to become team MVP and lead St. Thomas More Catholic School to a city championship.
As a teenager Shai transferred schools to pursue tougher competition. He spent sophomore year at Sir Allan MacNab Secondary (also in Hamilton), then in 2015 he moved to the U.S. and enrolled at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (A nationally known prep program, Hamilton Heights played for national titles.) There Gilgeous-Alexander blossomed, as a senior he averaged 18.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. His family’s Caribbean-Canadian background and his faith-based schooling helped shape his character.
NBA Career Highlights
Gilgeous-Alexander was a highly regarded recruit and chose to play one season of college basketball at the University of Kentucky (2017–18). He became a starter and shone in the SEC tournament (scoring 29 points in the title game) and was named the tournament’s MVP. Kentucky made the NCAA Sweet 16 that year before Shai declared for the 2018 NBA Draft.
On June 21, 2018, he was selected with the 11th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets and immediately traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. In his lone rookie season with L.A., he averaged 10.8 points per game and earned a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team. In July 2019, the Clippers sent Gilgeous-Alexander (along with other assets) to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the blockbuster trade for All-Star Paul George. In OKC, he gradually assumed the role of franchise leader. By the 2021–22 season he was regularly flirting with triple-doubles, and on December 27, 2021 he recorded his first career triple-double (27 points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists) against Denver. He also set personal scoring highs along the way (42 points in Feb 2021; 44 points in Feb 2023).
Gilgeous-Alexander’s hard work paid off with league-wide recognition. He became an NBA All-Star in 2023 and was voted to the All-NBA First Team that year after averaging over 31 points per game. In the 2024–25 season he raised his game even higher, he led the entire NBA in scoring (32.7 ppg), won the regular season MVP, and then steered the young Thunder to their first-ever NBA championship. For that title run he earned Finals MVP as well. His 2024–25 season was historic, just the fourth time a player won MVP, Finals MVP, scoring champion and a title in the same year. Under his leadership Oklahoma City went 68–14 in 2024–25 (one of the best records in league history) and became a title-winning dynasty in the making.
Personal Life
In early 2024 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander married his long-time girlfriend, Hailey Summers, in a quiet ceremony. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Ares, on April 25, 2024. Becoming a father has been a life-changing experience for Shai, he often says his son “has shown me everything that actually matters in life” and that he’s eager to be present for Ares’s first games and milestones. Indeed, Gilgeous-Alexander has spoken candidly about how fatherhood has grounded him and shifted his priorities.
One media profile summed up Shai’s priorities as “Family, friends, hoops, fashion”– a phrase he literally used when asked what matters most to him. Friends and teammates describe him as always quick to smile and noticeably polite; though he’ll walk into an arena in a fur coat and sunglasses, he “doesn’t get carried away” and is “very down to earth” according to observers. That fashion sense is real, Gilgeous-Alexander is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s best-dressed players. He loves clothes and style; on late nights he’ll retreat to his closet to assemble outfits, and he’s even involved in sneaker design. In 2024 he became Converse’s creative basketball director and helped design his own signature shoe (the “Shai 001”).
Trivia
- His younger cousin Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also an NBA guard (currently with the Charlotte Hornets)
- As a freshman he was actually cut from his middle-school team, but he worked his way to become St. Thomas More’s MVP and led them to a city championship
- In 2025 he became only the fourth player in NBA history joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal to win the regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, scoring title, and an NBA championship all in the same season
- He is the second Canadian ever to win NBA MVP (after Steve Nash) and the first Canadian to ever win the NBA Finals MVP
- He was selected as the cover athlete for NBA 2K26 (the popular video game), reflecting his superstar status.
