Wizards Coach Praises MVP Candidate

Washington Wizards coach Brian Keefe is proud of one of his former players.

Dec 23, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Before he became the head coach of the Washington Wizards, Brian Keefe was a longtime assistant coach who spent majority of his time on the bench with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Keefe got his start in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007 and was part of the move to OKC in 2008. He bounced around to coach the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers before returning to Oklahoma City in 2019 as the team was rebuilding after trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

In those trades, the Thunder acquired Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which has blazed their path to where the team is today at the top of the Western Conference standings. Gilgeous-Alexander has emerged as an MVP candidate, scoring 41 points in his last game against the Wizards.

Keefe spoke highly of Gilgeous-Alexander when asked about his progression.

“This guy was a worker,” Keefe said of Gilgeous-Alexander. “[He] loves the game, totally committed to the craft, really impressive person so not surprising to see where he's come because I saw the stuff behind the scenes. He's turned himself into a great player.”

Keefe left after Gilgeous-Alexander's first season in OKC to join the Brooklyn Nets, who featured Kevin Durant and James Harden, two of his developmental projects when he first joined the Thunder.

In the years since Keefe left, SGA has become one of the best players in the world and he could be well on his way towards winning his first MVP award. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.0 assists all while leading the Thunder to the best record in the Western Conference.

While Gilgeous-Alexander's success can't directly be traced to Keefe, it's a welcoming thought to know that the Wizards coach has had his hand in a lot of cookie jars behind some of the league's greatest players over the last decade.

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