There are some grudges in life that last forever. No matter how successful you become. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is usually cool and collected, but he still antagonizes one group years later. Even after he's broken out to be a two-time MVP winner, one-time NBA champion and future Hall-of-Famer.
Nearly a decade later, Gilgeous-Alexander still holds it out against the LA Clippers. He was part of the infamous 2019 Paul George trade. Not even as the headliner, he's turned that league-altering transaction into one of the most lopsided in sports history. Period.
Getting traded has turned into the biggest blessing in Gilgeous-Alexander's professional life. What did he have to say about the Clippers in an interview with Time Magazine recently? He's still
using it as motivation to this day. Every time he suits up against LA, he wants to show the discombobulated franchise how huge of a mistake it made.
"You’re never as good as you think you are, or as safe or as comfortable as you think you are," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I just use it as a chip on my shoulder."
The Clippers went all in on Kawhi Leonard and George. Both within and outside of the rules. What did it net LA? One measly Western Conference Finals — plus a plethora of headache-inducing problems. Such as having zero control of their first-round pick for a decade.
Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander had one of the more improbable journeys into NBA superstardom. He's widely viewed as one of the greatest scorers ever. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to one NBA championship — possibly more. When it's all said and done, he's part of the golden era-defining guard lineage of guys like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry.
All of the all-time NBA great players carry some sorta burden. Regardless if their success has proven to be undeniable. The only way to maintain that edge to get better is to sometimes make stuff up in your mind. Ask Jordan and Bryant as they famously conjured up a bunch of one-sided beefs over their playing days.
Gilgeous-Alexander doing the same with the Clippers isn't anything new. Even if LA yelled, 'Uncle!' a long, long time ago over who turned out to be the winner of the 2019 George trade.
TIME’s new cover: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best player in the NBA… according to @shaiglalex.
— TIME (@TIME) October 8, 2026
Our interview: https://t.co/sHyT1te0bx pic.twitter.com/kbQSiCAZQo
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander still has 'chip on shoulder' over Clippers trading him
