LOOK: OKC Thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Visits Children's Hospital

When Team Canada took center stage against its southern neighbors in the FIBA World Cup bronze medal game, all eyes were on the United States. And Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The United States had long been the team to beat in any international competition, ranging from the olympics to the World Cup and even in the NBA's annual Rising Stars game, which uses a USA vs. The World format.

But while that's been the case for decades, the sentiment surrounding foreign talent in the modern-day NBA is changing, and not in favor of American dominance. Now, players from all different countries are beginning to headline top-100 lists of all professional basketball players, and Gilgeous-Alexander is no exception, despite him being significantly closer to the United States than some other foreign stars.

Because of that, it wasn't difficult for fans at the global level to cheer on the Thunder point guard, especially with the high praise he'd earned throughout the tournament, which came only a few months after he was named to the All-NBA first team.

It's safe to say that the 25-year-old didn't disappoint, scoring 31 points and tallying 12 assists en route to a 127-118 victory for Team Canada. Afterwards, Gilgeous-Alexander celebrated with his teammates and his head coach.

But he also celebrated in a different way.

A few weeks after the FIBA World Cup's conclusion, Gilgeous-Alexander returned home to Canada to surprise kids at a local children's hospital by taking photos with them and his bronze medal — a was for him to give back to his country.

"First medal for my country," Gilgeous-Alexander wrote on Instagram. "So I had to bring it back… the kids give me so much joy and happiness, how am I the one that’s giving back?"

The Thunder guard partnered with Sick Kids Foundation — a charity aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of children in Canada — to make the event possible and made sure to shoutout the organization on his Instagram post as well.

"We believe fighting for the health and wellbeing of children is one of the most powerful ways to improve society," Sick Kids Foundation writes on its website. "Our mission is to inspire communities to invest in health and scientific advances to improve the lives of children and their families in Canada and around the world."

Gilgeous-Alexander already received praise from his coach on Team Canada, who cited the superstar's ability to take over games and lead a team, but while Gilgeous-Alexander's impact on the court is undeniable, he's making a case for that to be the case off of it, too.

His visit to the children's hospital was just one example of many more to come, as Gilgeous-Alexander continues to give back to the community that made him who he is today ... a superstar both during and after basketball games.

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