HAMILTON, Ontario — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP who led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the league championship for the 2024-25 season earlier this summer, received the key to the city of Hamilton from Mayor Andrea Horwath at a public rally Thursday at Hamilton Stadium.
Horwath said the 27-year-old guard — who was a prep standout at Chattanooga’s Hamilton Heights Christian Academy before becoming a first-round pick in the NBA draft after one season at the University of Kentucky — will also have a street named after him after capping an epic season by leading Thunder to the title in an NBA Finals that went all seven games against the Indiana Pacers.
“Growing up as I traveled across the world, to countless states, cities and countries, people always asked where I was from,” Gilgeous-Alexander told a raucous gathering in the north end zone after hoisting the NBA championship trophy over his head.
“I took pride in letting everyone know I was from Hamilton. Hamilton is different from every other city in Ontario. Hamiltonians carry a different sense of grit, determination, pride and energy than the rest of the province, and honestly, I couldn’t shy away from that. I carry that with me every day and everywhere I go, so you guys can only imagine how (much) overwhelming joy there was when I found out I was getting a key to the city I love and a street named after me.”
Gilgeous-Alexander returned to Hamilton Stadium on Thursday night, where he was honored at the start of the second quarter of a Canadian Football League regular-season game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the B.C. Lions.