Team Canada Coach Says Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Will Be 'One of the Best NBA Players Ever'

After watching him up close for the entire summer, Jordi Fernandez is convinced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be an all-time great.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show for Team Canada this summer, and in return, has gotten heaps of praise from the basketball community.

Coming off of an MVP-like season in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander continued his tear into the summer. Canada didn’t win the World Cup, but SGA did everything in his power to will the team toward victory. He was named to the All-Star Five Team and put up incredible averages along the way.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished the tournament averaging 24.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game and helped Canada finish third for their first medal in history. While Team Canada might not be the odds-on favorite to win the Olympics next summer, they appear to be a big time threat to the overall field and a team with an outside shot to win it. With a player like Gilgeous-Alexander, anything could happen.

It’s no surprise that SGA impressed his head coach in the process. He drew rave reviews from almost every opponent he faced and received strong praise from his team’s leader.

"[Shai is] a very special player,” Canada coach Jordi Fernandez said on TheRaptorsShow. “He's gonna be one of the best NBA players ever, he's gonna be one of the best players in our program ever... He's got that killer instinct."

Gilgeous-Alexander has a lot to do before becoming one of the best NBA players ever, but last year is an indication of the player he can be. The Thunder star was a first-time All-Star and an All-NBA First-Team member. If he leads Oklahoma City to a playoff berth and a top-six seed, he could very well be in the running for the MVP award.

He's added a new piece to his game every offseason, so his ceiling could still be growing. Gilgeous-Alexander has work to do, but Fernandez might be onto something.

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