If the Thunder win the championship, is SGA the greatest NBA cat of all time? Is he already?
We’ve got a storied history and to a lesser extent storied NBA history, but what SGA is doing is unprecedented for an ex UK guy. We’ve never had a player win mvp. He’s won 2. In a row. He’s the best player on his team, won the finals MVP last year, and would be a massive favorite for mvp if he wins the championship this year. I just don’t see anyone else in UK history coming close to him in terms of pro-greatness. You’ve got Dan Issel, but he was never a champion and while great, was never the best player in the league. Mashburn, similar good all-star numbers but no ring and not the best of his era (he played with Jordan). Pat Riley’s got an argument if you consider coaching and front office. Frank Ramsey has the rings but was obviously not the best on his team or all-nba talent (though an excellent sixth man). AD has a ring but was second option that year and has never won DPOY despite his great stats. Current and recent cats like Wall, Cousins, Bam, KAT, Booker, etc. have been all-stars but either haven’t got their teams over the hump in the playoffs or had generational talent cut short by injuries. In short, has SGA done enough now to be the BBNBA GOAT? Back-to-back MVPs and possibly back-to-back rings would put him in rarified air and he’s clearly the alpha dog on his team. I think he might already be our GOAT, short as his career has been already.