Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes Feelings Clear About Playing Against LA Clippers

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes feelings known about playing against his former team

Nov 11, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) defends a drive by Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers enter the 2025-26 season as two of the top teams in the Western Conference, with the Thunder most notably coming off a 2025 playoff run that saw them get crowned as NBA Champions. The Clippers loaded up this offseason, but fans will have to wait until the regular season to see how they stack up to the reigning champions.

The two teams are scheduled to go head-to-head for the first time next season on November 4th when the Clippers welcome the Thunder to town. While they might just seem like two top Western Conference teams on the surface level, one trade altered the course of the two franchises, and it still makes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander play with a chip on his shoulder.

Shai:

“The Clippers came into town and I would be lying to you if I tell you I didn't get up to play the Clippers every time, for obvious reasons… I wanted to make sure when it’s all said and done, OKC won the trade.”

(h/t @CAlmanza1007)pic.twitter.com/VTsLlhU27z

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 17, 2025

In a clip from Season 2 of Netflix's show Starting 5, Gilgeous-Alexander shared his thoughts on getting to match up with his former team, the Clippers.

“The Clippers came into town and I would be lying to you if I tell you I didn't get up to play the Clippers every time, for obvious reasons… I wanted to make sure when it’s all said and done, OKC won the trade," Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Revisiting The Blockbuster Trade

From today’s BS Pod: Here’s Doc Rivers on the Clippers trading SGA in 2019’s Paul George trade (and whether it had to happen at all) — some Kawhi stuff I never heard buried in here. pic.twitter.com/fMheLDs4RE

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 12, 2023

In 2019, when the Los Angeles Clippers were able to sign Kawhi Leonard after his NBA Finals MVP run with the Toronto Raptors, Leonard wanted a co-star to join him. That ended up being Paul George, and with him coming off the best season of his career with a third-place finish for MVP, the price wasn't cheap.

The deal between the Clippers and Thunder would send George and a 2025 first-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for a plethora of draft picks to go with Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Even if the deal didn't include the draft picks, the Thunder would've come out as the winner by landing an MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander, but it was more than that.

The moment SGA became MVP 🏆

From the draft, to dazzling on the biggest stage, relive Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s meteoric rise to Kia NBA MVP and NBA champion in ‘Loud City’, now on the NBA App!

📲 https://t.co/jflnmxb81Y pic.twitter.com/88ZiBhw2hN

— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 17, 2025

Gilgeous-Alexander was traded after a promising rookie season, and very well could've developed into that co-star for Leonard. However, the Clippers certainly weren't expecting him to reach the heights he has now, and every time they match up, it's personal.

In his career against the Clippers, across 19 games, he holds averages of 26.0 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on 60.2 TS%. Given what he said in the clip on Starting 5, he'll most definitely be looking to show out on November 4th when he sees the Clippers again.