Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes massive statement on "ultimate goal"

The Oklahoma City Thunder's 125-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies set a franchise record for most wins in a single season. As impressive as this feat is, superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not satisfied just yet.

Instead, "SGA" revealed that lifting the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy is all that mattered to him.

"My ultimate goal is to not set a franchise record in wins, but to hoist the trophy at the end of the season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said via The Athletic's Andrew Schlecht.

"SGA" and Co. clinched their 61st win of the season, surpassing the 60-win record set 12 years ago by Kevin Durant’s 2012-2013 team. With nine games remaining in the season, the Thunder have the opportunity to join the iconic 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls and 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors as the only teams with a 70-win campaign.

Even if Mark Daigneault’s team is unable to capitalize on having one of the easier remaining schedules in the league, it could aim to surpass the 1995-1996 Seattle SuperSonics’ 64-win campaign for the most wins in Thunder and Sonics history.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander advocates for Lu Dort to win 2025 DPOY

The Oklahoma City Thunder are known for being a tight-knit group, often seen hyping each other. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stayed true to that reputation by rallying for Lu Dort to win the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year award.

“I would pick out Lu Dort… There's nobody in the NBA like him. What he does is special every night. You can't teach it. Like it's a gift. He puts it on display every night… It's not a lot of nights, people get the best of him, very few," Gilgeous-Alexander told OKC beat reporter Michael Martin.

"I think that goes a little bit unnoticed because we have a team full of defenders and it's a reason why we're a really good defense. But yeah, Lu Dort is at the front of that 100%. So whatever my little rank or score is, add it to this,” he added.

OKC is the best team in the league, defensively, with a DRTG of 106.1. It is no secret that Dort is the anchor for this defense, contributing by averaging a career-high 1.1 steals while spending 46% of his total playing time guarding the opposing team’s primary offensive threats.

While it might be difficult for Dort to win the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy over frontrunners such as Evan Mobley, Dyson Daniels and Jaren Jackson Jr., a First Team All-Defense is a legitimate possibility.