Where is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from, and how old is he? Bio and all the facts

Where is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from, and how old is he? Bio and all the facts

Helix Odhiambo
updated at November 19, 2023 at 11:28 AM

Shai Gilgeous is a famous athlete who plays basketball for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His skills and abilities have raised his status in the NBA. So, where is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from? What is he known for?

How old is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder controls the ball during their NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on 12 November 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Kelsey Grant
Source: Getty Images

Shai has shown immense potential as a shooting guard and small forward. He has won awards and earned millions at a young age. He also has a girlfriend whom he often spends time with. This article features the shooting guard's biography, career journey, and net worth.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's profile

Full name

Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander

Nickname

SGA, Shai

Date of birth

12 July 1998

Age

25 (as of November 2023)

Place of birth

Toronto, Ontario

Nationality

Canadian

Height

1.98 m (6' 6")

Weight

88 kg (194 lbs)

College

University of Kentucky

Career

Professional basketball player

Position

Point guard, shooting guard

Teams

Oklahoma City Thunder, Canada national basketball team

Parents

Charmaine Gilgeous and Vaughn Alexander

Brother

Thomasi

Cousin

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Girlfriend

Hailey Summers

Net worth

$5 million

Social media

Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)

How old is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander?

NBA rising star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (age 25 as of November 2023) was born in 1998 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has achieved a lot in his basketball career at a young age.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's height and weight

Gilgeous-Alexander's height is 1.98m or 6 feet and 6 inches. He is not among the tallest players on the Thunder's roster. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's weight is 88 kg or 195lbs.

Where is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's height
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a Canadian basketball player and one of the best young talents in the NBA. Photo: Kate Frese, Joshua Gateley, Barry Gossage (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

SGA grew up in Canada, where he spent his childhood. He studied at Thomas More in Hamilton, Ontario, then transferred to Sir Allan MacNab secondary school. The rising star moved to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for his junior and senior years.

Where did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander go to college?

Gilgeous-Alexander pursued his college studies at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, USA. He was a standout player for his college team.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's parents and siblings

The shooting guard was born to Charmaine Gilgeous and Vaughn Alexander. His mother, Charmaine, is a former track star. She competed for Antigua and Barbuda at the 1992 Summer Olympics. Vaughn trained and supported his sons to achieve their dreams. Details of his career remain undisclosed.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's brother
Thomasi Gilgeous-Alexander, Shai's brother, is also a talented basketball player. Photo: @th0masi (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's brother is called Thomasi. He is also a basketball player, born on 28 December 2000 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Thomas played basketball for the Potter's House in Jacksonville, the University of Evansville Purple Aces, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Thomas and his brother have a younger cousin, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who plays for the NBA side, Minnesota Timberwolves.

Gilgeous-Alexander's career

The Canadian started playing basketball in high school and college. He became famous for displaying his talent in international basketball events such as Basketball Without Borders and the 2017 Nike Hoop Summit. Here is a breakdown of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's stats from college to the NBA.

Kentucky career

SGA played for the University of Kentucky in 2017-18. He helped the team reach the South Regional semifinal before losing to Kansas State. Shai won the SEC Tournament MVP and also made the Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team.

Alexander averaged 14.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during his college basketball career before moving to the NBA.

NBA career

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's jersey
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (R) of the LA Clippers dribbles past Nik Stauskas of the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on 17 December 2018 in LA, California. Photo by Sean M. Haffey
Source: Getty Images

What teams has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played for in the NBA? He began his career with the Los Angeles Clippers before joining the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Los Angeles Clippers

Shai got selected in the first round with the 11th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2018 NBA Draft but got traded to the LA Clippers the same night. He penned a two-year contract with the Clippers worth $7.3 million. The youngster averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game during his first NBA season.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Clippers traded Shai to the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2019. He has become crucial to the Thunder's success, establishing himself as the team's best offensive player. Shai averaged 19.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per outing in his first season for the team.

Gilgeous-Alexander has played over 320 NBA games, averaging 21.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists as of November 2023.

International career

Gilgeous-Alexander represented the Canada national basketball team at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 championship, where they won a silver medal. He was also part of the 2023 FIBA World Cup squad that made history by beating the United States 127-118 to win the bronze medal.

Shai's impressive performance earned him a place in the All-Star Five of the World Cup. He averaged 24.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game in the competition.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's contract

The Canadian athlete penned a five-year extension with the Thunder in 2021 worth $179.3 million. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wears jersey number 2 for his teams.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's injury update

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's injury
Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder falls to the ground during their game against the Phoenix Suns at Paycom Center on 19 March 2023 in Oklahoma City. Photo: Ian Maule
Source: Getty Images

The youngster suffered a knee injury during their 106-110 defeat to New Orleans Pelicans on 1 November 2023. His return to the court remains unclear.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's salary and net worth

Shai is the highest-paid player on the Thunder's roster. He earns $33.4 million for the 2023-24 season. His net worth is $5 million as of 2023. He also made millions from endorsement deals with Nike, Converse, and Foot Locker.

Facts about Gilgeous-Alexander

The young Canadian athlete has won the hearts of NBA fans since 2018. Besides his career and family background, Shai has a girlfriend and is also available on social media. Here is more about him, including where he lives.

Gilgeous-Alexander's girlfriend

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Instagram
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been dating Canadian beauty Hailey Summers for years. She often attends Shai's games to support him. Photo: @shai (modified by author)
Source: Instagram

The NBA star is dating Hailey Summers, a Canadian lady from Hamilton, Ontario. She played soccer at the college level for the University at Albany in New York from 2017 to 2021. Hailey also earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from the institution.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's house

Shai bought a $8.4 million lakefront mansion in Burlington, Ontario, in May 2023. Unfortunately, the NBA star may sell the house following links to crypto king Aiden Pleterski. Sources revealed the property belongs to Pleterski, who owes investors over $40 million.

Social media

The Thunder's star is active on social media with millions of followers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's Instagram has 2.5 million followers as of November 2023. He is also available on Facebook with 53k followers and on X (Twitter) with 152.8k followers.

Where is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from? The talented athlete hails from Toronto, Ontario. His rise from playing basketball in his local high school to starring in the NBA has inspired many young Canadians.

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Authors
Helix Odhiambo photo
Helix Odhiambo
Helix Odhiambo is an award-winning Kenyan journalist and content creator with over 6 years of experience. In 2016, he won the Goal Blaze Correspondent Award for young writers.