Shai Gilgeous-Alexander matching Wilt Chamberlain highlights historic calendar year – The Athletic
On a point-by-point basis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander routinely places himself alongside NBA greats. His midrange mastery reminds many of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. The fluidity and creativity of his drives to the rim are reminiscent of his childhood hoops idol, Allen Iverson.
In the last calendar year, as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder have become the league’s most dominant team in recent memory, his competitive yet quiet drive has positioned the reigning MVP as next up when it comes to stacking wins and accolades.
On Sunday, against the Portland Trail Blazers, the 27-year-old Gilgeous-Alexander continued etching his name into NBA lore with his 93rd consecutive 20-point game, surpassing the late, great Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest such streak in league history.
Footloose (1984) 🕺 pic.twitter.com/1W4y4yq1Os
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) November 30, 2025
The owner of the 126-game mark SGA is now chasing? Chamberlain, of course! (Fun fact: Although he last logged an NBA minute in 1973, Wilt the Stilt still holds over 60 league records.)
Gilgeous-Alexander’s latest installment in the NBA record books continues what has been an impressive stretch. Since Nov. 1, 2024, when he started this streak, he’s sporting a true shooting percentage of roughly 65 percent while shooting 38.8 percent on 3-pointers, leading the NBA with 1,838 total drives (ahead of anyone else by several hundred, per NBA.com) and spearheading a young but hungry Thunder roster that became the NBA’s second-youngest champion mere months ago.
Here are five standout stats from Gilgeous-Alexander’s run in roughly the last year.
1. While it’s rightly impressive for Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring prowess to match Chamberlain’s, it’s also reasonable to wonder where his 93-game 20-point streak compares to other notable hot hands in league history. Kevin Durant and Michael Jordan topped out at 72 games at their respective peaks. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar? He had two separate streaks of at least 70 games with the Bucks in the early 1970s. Elgin Baylor, an underrated gem for any NBA list, had a 64-game streak from Feb. 16, 1961, to Oct. 23, 1962. Remember Kobe Bryant at the peak of his powers? That version of the Mamba scored at least 20 points in “only” 63 straight outings.
2. When discussing Gilgeous-Alexander’s knack for getting buckets, his penchant for driving to the basket – with or without a foul call – has become unmatched. Since Nov. 1 of last year, he has scored over 1,400 points when driving to the rim, placing him several hundred points ahead of any other player over that span, according to NBA.com. In fact, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons is the only other player to score at least 1,000 such points over that span.
3. Since we’re examining one-man clubs by scoring method, let’s examine Gilgeous-Alexander’s knack for making defenders pay for respecting his drives. Over the aforementioned span, he’s the only player in the league to score at least 1,000 points on pull-up jumpers, according to NBA.com, with 1,189. This season, he’s shooting 49.8 percent on such shot attempts, including a dominant mark of 44.7 percent on pull-up 3-pointers.
While volume is absolutely a key selling point to Gilgeous-Alexander’s knack for points, his efficiency proves more effective by the day. Among the 25 players to attempt at least 100 pull-up jumpers this season, only he and Brandon Ingram are shooting at least 49 percent on them.
4. Another vital element to Gilgeous-Alexander’s recent run has been its impact on the Thunder’s win column. En route to last season’s title, Oklahoma City notched a franchise-record 68 wins, which included a league-record 54 by double digits! This season, the Thunder – who only recently added All-NBA selection Jalen Williams to the lineup – are somehow appearing stronger.
Sunday’s win made them only the fourth team to start a season 20-1 or better. The others? The 2015-16, 73-win Golden State Warriors, 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1969-70 New York Knicks. Of those three, the Rockets and Knicks won championships. This season’s Thunder lead the NBA in net rating (plus-15.3) while allowing the fewest points per 100 possessions (103.5). The next-closest mark for defensive efficiency? The second-place Houston Rockets, at 110.3.
5. Earlier this year, during an episode of Netflix’s “Starting Five” documentary, Gilgeous-Alexander said he considers it a bad outing if he scores even just 30 in a game. And honestly? He’s onto something. Through 21 games, he’s averaging 32.5 points, putting him on pace to average at least 30 points for the fourth consecutive season. By doing so, he’d match Iverson, Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley and Jerry West for the most total such seasons in NBA history. The only other players in league lore with more? Jordan (eight), Chamberlain (seven) and Oscar Robertson (six).
“There was a point where I got 30 and thought it was a good game. Now if I have 30, it’s a bad game.”
“You think 30 points is a bad game?”
“If I have 30, it’s … I mean it’s below my average.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in Starting 5 Season 2 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/KwkC9x95C4
— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) October 28, 2025
Although Gilgeous-Alexander has plenty of years remaining in his Hall-of-Fame-bound career, he’s already providing a peak few greats could ever match.
