"I know what I signed up for": When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander predicted OKC won't 'lose for long' after signing $179,299,750 deal in 2022

In 2022, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed a five-year, $179,299,750 contract with the OKC Thunder, per Spotrac. Oklahoma went all-in on a 23-year-old emerging star, who led the team to back-to-back losing seasons. Oklahoma held a 22-50 record during the 2020-21 season before finishing the following campaign with a 24-58 mark.

In an interview with Andrew Schlect of The Athletic, SGA had this to say in September 2022 after agreeing to the deal:

“We lost more than we liked to in the past couple of years, and it’s not fun. With that being said, though, I know what I signed up for, and I signed a five-year extension. I don’t think we’re losing for much longer. It’s not like I signed up to lose or anything. I believe in this team.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was spot on when he answered speculations about leaving the OKC Thunder. In his first year after signing the extension, OKC finished with a 40-42 record for the 10th spot in the Western Conference and booked a ticket to the play-in tournament.

The Thunder beat the ninth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans 123-118 before bowing out 120-95 to the eighth-ranked Minnesota Timberwolves.

Last year, SGA earned his second All-Star game nod and finished second to Nikola Jokic in the MVP voting. The Thunder improved their record to 57-25 for the No. 1 seed in the West. The inexperienced team lost 4-2 to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

This season, the OKC Thunder were even more dominant, ending the 2024-25 campaign with a 68-14 record, the best in franchise history. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the scoring title, the regular-season MVP and the NBA Finals MVP.

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Thunder built a championship team around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Once Shai Gilgeous-Alexander signed the five-year extension, the OKC Thunder smartly built around their point guard. During the 2022 NBA draft, General Manager Sam Presti made former Gonzaga star Chet Holmgren the No. 2 pick. Ten spots later, Presti grabbed Jalen Williams out of Santa Clara.

Holmgren returned from a hip injury this season to help carry the Thunder to the championship. Williams earned an All-Star nod and became Robin to SGA’s Batman.

The 2024 upset loss to the Dallas Mavericks prompted the Thunder to continue retooling around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They traded former mainstay Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for defensive ace Alex Caruso. Sam Presti lured Isaiah Hartenstein away from the New York Knicks with a lucrative offer.

The Thunder also kept Lu Dort, arguably the team’s best perimeter defender, to round out the core. Three years after signing SGA to an extension, Presti’s impeccable roster building helped the superstar point guard lead the team to the 2025 NBA championship.