Despite securing two MVPs and a championship, the Thunder superstar remains fixated on joining basketball’s most exclusive shooting club to cement his legacy among the all-time greats.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have watched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accomplish nearly everything an NBA superstar could reasonably pursue. He has won consecutive MVP awards, captured a scoring title and led Oklahoma City to its first championship during the 2024-25 season. However, Gilgeous-Alexander still has one rare individual achievement missing from his resume. He wants to produce a 50/40/90 season.
That requires a player to shoot at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range and 90% from the free-throw line across an entire regular season.
When Michael Martin asked how he approaches such a difficult goal beyond simply attempting to make every shot, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered an answer that explained much more than his shooting ambition.
“Swing at it and keep swinging until you get it. And if you don’t get it, keep swinging,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
That mentality is exactly why Gilgeous-Alexander belongs in every legitimate discussion about the NBA’s best player. His greatness is not limited to smooth footwork, creative finishes or his ability to control games without appearing rushed. He continues searching for another area to master after reaching accomplishments that could make another superstar comfortable. Two MVP awards and a championship have not convinced him that his development is finished.
There is a reasonable debate involving Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo and other elite players when determining the league’s best. Gilgeous-Alexander’s combination of production, efficiency, availability and team success gives him an argument against anyone. Becoming a member of the 50/40/90 club would only strengthen that case, especially because defenses already design entire game plans to keep him away from his preferred spots.
Still, chasing those percentages cannot become more important than creating the best possession for Oklahoma City. Gilgeous-Alexander understands that balance better than most. His quote was not about forcing shots to protect statistics. It was about repeatedly attacking a difficult objective, learning from every miss and trusting that continued work will eventually produce the desired result.
The 50/40/90 goal offers another glimpse into the standard driving Oklahoma City’s leader. Gilgeous-Alexander has already climbed to the top of the sport, but he continues behaving like a player attempting to prove he belongs there.
That refusal to become satisfied helped produce two MVP awards and the Thunder’s first championship. It could eventually produce the elusive shooting season he continues to swing toward. Thunder fans are going to love hearing this type of goal-setting still coming from their superstar even after he has accomplished so much.
