Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Injury History

Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, aka SGA, is a basketball shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the 11th pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft. However, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers that same day. Prior to being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2019, he was selected to the NBA All-Second Team during his first season. He was the Thunder's top scorer in his debut season and helped them qualify for the playoffs as a fifth seed.

The following two seasons were marred by injuries, but in 2023, after finishing fourth in the league in scoring with 31.4 points per game, he was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game and was elected to the All-NBA First Team. He was selected to the World Cup All-Tournament Team after winning the bronze medal with the Canadian national basketball team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Further, he became the second basketball player to receive the Northern Star Award for Canadian Athlete of the Year in 2023.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Injury History

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a total of 22 injuries as of November 2024, as per Fox Sports. Basketball Reference reports that almost every injury has caused him to miss a few games, although his foot and ankle injuries from the early 2021 and 2022 seasons interfered with more than ten games.

Also, he was placed under NBA health and safety procedures in February 2023 due to an abdominal strain. Furthermore, six regular-season games were missed in March 2024 due to a quad injury.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s injuries, as per Fox Sports, are as follows:

Major Injuries sustained by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the NBA

Gilgeous-Alexander’s major injuries during his NBA career, as of November 2024, are as follows:

Quad Injury (Mar 2024)

During Oklahoma City's victory over Utah on March 20, Gilgeous-Alexander sustained a quad injury. According to the NBA, he was on his way to the basket when he collided with Jazz forward John Collins in the knee, sending him straight to the deck. Even though he was limping at the end of the game, Gilgeous-Alexander managed to score 31 points and give out seven assists.

After playing in the next three games for Oklahoma City, he finally took a break on March 27 against the Rockets. He next appeared on April 9, 2024, in a game against the Sacramento Kings, which they won, according to Basketball Reference.

Abdominal Strain (Feb 2023)

According to Sporting News, Gilgeous-Alexander missed the Thunder's games against the Suns and Kings on February 24 and 26, 2023, respectively, due to an abdominal strain and pain in his right ankle. He was expected to play against Sacramento on February 28, but he entered health and safety protocols prior to the game. According to Basketball Reference, he made a comeback after missing two more games in a match against the Utah Jazz, which they won.

Ankle Injury (Jan-Mar 2022)

SGA missed ten consecutive games due to an ankle injury he suffered on January 28, 2022, during an Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indian Pacers game. According to Basketball Reference, he then made a comeback on February 24 in a game against the Phoenix Suns.

On March 21, he suffered another ankle injury against the Boston Celtics, which kept him out of action for 10 more games in a row. This brought the season to a close, and the next season he returned, fully recovered.

Foot Plantar Fascia Injury (Mar 2021)

In a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 22, 2021, SGA suffered a foot injury that kept him out of action for 29 straight games. On March 25, Mark Daigneault, the coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, declared that SGA would be sidelined for a "significant amount of time" as a result of the injury as per the NBA. However, this injury proved to be season-ending, as he returned the following season on October 20, 2021, in the opener against the Utah Jazz.

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