Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Paul often lingered after practice on the same end of the same court at the Thunder’s training facility.
They would try to match each other shot for shot, with a heavy dose of trash talk in between.
“We really just wanted to make each other better, to get the most out of each other, and I think we did last year,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Both of us made sacrifices for the greater good.”
For Paul, last season in Oklahoma City was a short-term stay between more desirable situations in Houston and Phoenix. For Gilgeous-Alexander, it was a year-long apprenticeship with one of the best point guards in NBA history.