Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nickeil Alexander-Walker: 3 things to know as cousins play for NBA playoffs spot

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talks about Thunder’s best dunkers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talks about the best dunkers on the OKC Thunder.

Joe Mussatto, Oklahoman

The Oklahoma City Thunder will face the Minnesota Timberwolves for a spot in the NBA playoffs Friday night following a win against the New Orleans. The winner will become the eighth seed in the Western Conference and will take on the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.

The matchup means Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will square off against his cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, for a spot in the playoffs.

Here’s three things to know about the two relatives:

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How are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nickeil Alexander-Walker related? Who are their parents?

Shai’s mother, Charmaine Gilgeous, was a track star who ran the 400 meters at the 1992 Summer Olympics for Antigua and Barbuda. His father, Vaughn Alexander, is the brother of Nicole Alexander, Nickiel’s mother.

According to an NBA.com article, Vaughn served as a father figure for Nickiel.

“I’m really fortunate to have him in my life growing up,” said Nickiel. “Having him around and having Shai and his little brother around made me feel almost as if I was one of them.”

The two grew up 40-minutes from one another in Ontario, Canada, playing a variety of sports together, and deepening their bond. The two were so close that after Shai moved to Tennessee to play high school basketball at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, his cousin joined him there a year later, living together at the coach’s home.

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‘We’d both make it.’

When Nickiel was drafted into the NBA a year after his cousin in 2019, Shai was on hand to celebrate the moment with him. In an interview, Shai called the moment “a blessing.”

“We worked for it our whole life,” Shai said. “We knew, as early as I can remember that we’d both make it and we’re here today and we still have more to prove.”

Nickeil then insisted he won most of their 1-on-1 games growing up.

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“I won most of the 1-on-1 battles!” 🇨🇦
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Nickeil Alexander-Walker and his cousin, Shai, share the stage during Nickeil’s #NBADraft interview. pic.twitter.com/dJ1UyhHybD

— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) June 21, 2019

Nickeil Alexander-Walker vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: Who has the edge in NBA games?

The two played against one another for the first time in the NBA in 2019 when Nickeil was a member of the Pelicans. The two exchanged jerseys after the game.

“It was a surreal moment,” Shai said of the game. “Something we dreamed about obviously our whole lives and for us to actually live it out is crazy.”

The two have played each other six times in the NBA, splitting their series by going 3-3.

During a Nov. 2021 game, Nickiel scored 33 points, the second most of his career in a loss against the Thunder.

“I’m happy he played well and I’m happy he lost,” Shai said at the time.

Asked following his NBA play-in tournament win whether he was looking forward to playing against his cousin for a playoff spot, Shai simply smiled.

“Absolutely, it’s always fun playing that guy,” he said.

More: Thunder vs. Pelicans report card: Lu Dort, Josh Giddey are spectacular in NBA play-in win

“ we used to pray for times like this “ 🙏🏾… and of course @TheReal_NAW1 had to show off his tats😂🤦🏾‍♂️… love you kid❤️ pic.twitter.com/RaSGDQzvtw

— Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (@shaiglalex) November 3, 2019