It’s easy to see the superstar now—calm, composed, a killer in crunch time. But Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t always this cool. Not when he was younger. Not when a missed foul call in a high school pickup game could send a ball flying across the gym. Now? He’s the leader and MVP of a Thunder team barreling into the NBA Finals, still only 26, but playing with the emotional steadiness of a ten-year vet. And the way he tells it, that transformation didn’t happen by accident.

“As a kid I used to be very emotional,” SGA shared. “I used to be very high and very low, and I was all over the place basketball-wise because of it. And I learned just throughout my career and throughout life… the more you can stay even-keeled, the more you can control what you can control and worry about what’s next, the better off you’ll be.”

So where’d all that emotional maturity come from? Or if this newfound maturity really is real, or just a facade to act nonchalant and take your win in your game as he’s done this season? One of his high school coaches set the tone. “I used to be a kid that would like, get mad and throw the ball around the court… over a pickup game,” Shai admitted. “And he just taught me that, like, the older you get, the less you get away with things like that. And you’re not a kid anymore… real-life consequences come into play.”

But it wasn’t just about staying out of trouble. His coach drilled in a message that stuck: “To be the guy that I want to be… I can’t behave like that, because it’ll translate to the rest of my team. As my team goes up and down, so will I, and so will the rest of the guys.” That idea of emotional consistency?

It’s not just a mantra—it’s now baked into how Shai leads on the court.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s secret to staying unshaken

Even in the most heated playoff moments, he doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t show frustration. Doesn’t give the other team any tells. “I still have it. I still feel it,” Shai said when asked where those emotions go now. “I just understand not to let it show… and kind of weaponize it for myself. Showing that also gives your opponent a weapon as well. So the more that I can be even-keeled… the less they know what I’m feeling and what I’m thinking. Ultimately, it gives me an advantage.” Fox-smart, this guy!

And the numbers? They back up every bit of that cool. After capturing the 2024–25 MVP award with 71 out of 100 first-place votes, the Thunder star hasn’t let up. In the postseason, he’s operated like the most unflappable man in the building, averaging 29.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.

And it’s not just him. The Thunder, behind SGA’s steady hand, stormed to a league-best 68–14 record with a staggering +12.9 point differential—the best mark by any team in more than half a century, dating all the way back to the 1971–72 Lakers. Quiet MVP season? Maybe. But the dominance has been deafening.

And when things get chaotic, like they will in the Finals, Shai’s ability to stay level might be OKC’s biggest weapon. As the Thunder prepare to battle Indiana, there’s no flashy talk coming from Shai. No gimmicks. No baiting the media. Just that same unshakable clarity that’s gotten him here.

“Every day, you’ve got to do things the right way,” he said. “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.” That’s what makes him dangerous. Not just the step-backs or the slithering drives. But the ability to stay in his own lane, through the noise, through the pressure, and the moments that shake most players out of rhythm. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn’t just playing in the Finals. He’s showing exactly why he belongs. Exactly how he got here. And that he is here to stay!