Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Cousins battle for NBA Finals berth
Published: May 28, 2025
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Bonded by bloodlines and basketball, the cousins in OKC and Minnesota are facing off on the West Finals stage.
OKLAHOMA CITY — When the Western Conference Finals are over and players from the Thunder and Wolves are wishing each other well, no hug will be more meaningful than the two who share the same blood and hyphenated name: Alexander.
What they whisper in each other’s ears before walking off the court won’t be captured by intrusive microphones nor deciphered by lip-readers watching at home. It will almost be their own language, meant only for each other. As it should be.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will root strongly for whomever advances to the NBA Finals — and right now, with a 3-1 lead and playing at home for Game 5 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), it appears Gilgeous-Alexander will have family bragging rights unless this series develops a drastic change.
The cousins are close, so the reigning Kia MVP will be sensitive with his words. He knows how much Alexander-Walker worked to reach this point, as a reserve player for the Wolves, who is suddenly earning heavy minutes in this series.
Two nights ago, when these teams engaged in a tight fourth quarter in a pivotal game, it was Alexander-Walker guarding Gilgeous-Alexander and vice versa. Even if they weren’t family, the back-and-forth between these guards was dramatic, intense, entertaining, and as Gilgeous-Alexander said, “super fun.”
Gilgeous-Alexander produced the win for OKC and scored 40 points. But Alexander-Walker grew as a player in those 12 minutes, on the big stage, as his reputation after that quarter wasn’t the same as when he entered it.
That’s because he threw a bow-tie on the game of his professional life, all things considered: 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting (5-for-8 on 3-pointers) and six assists. He was more impactful than Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle and helped the Wolves keep the game competitive.
“Just being out there on this stage, going against each other … he got the best of me at times, I got the best of him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Something we’ve dreamt about our whole lives.”
What they whisper in each other’s ears before walking off the court won’t be captured by intrusive microphones nor deciphered by lip-readers watching at home. It will almost be their own language, meant only for each other. As it should be.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will root strongly for whomever advances to the NBA Finals — and right now, with a 3-1 lead and playing at home for Game 5 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), it appears Gilgeous-Alexander will have family bragging rights unless this series develops a drastic change.
The cousins are close, so the reigning Kia MVP will be sensitive with his words. He knows how much Alexander-Walker worked to reach this point, as a reserve player for the Wolves, who is suddenly earning heavy minutes in this series.
Two nights ago, when these teams engaged in a tight fourth quarter in a pivotal game, it was Alexander-Walker guarding Gilgeous-Alexander and vice versa. Even if they weren’t family, the back-and-forth between these guards was dramatic, intense, entertaining, and as Gilgeous-Alexander said, “super fun.”
Gilgeous-Alexander produced the win for OKC and scored 40 points. But Alexander-Walker grew as a player in those 12 minutes, on the big stage, as his reputation after that quarter wasn’t the same as when he entered it.
That’s because he threw a bow-tie on the game of his professional life, all things considered: 23 points on 9-for-15 shooting (5-for-8 on 3-pointers) and six assists. He was more impactful than Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle and helped the Wolves keep the game competitive.
“Just being out there on this stage, going against each other … he got the best of me at times, I got the best of him,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Something we’ve dreamt about our whole lives.”
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