Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is preparing for Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, but his son, Ares, has already stolen the spotlight.
The Thunder and Spurs are set to face off on May 28. Oklahoma City is aiming to close out the series, while San Antonio hopes to force a Game 7 with a win on their home court. The winner of the series will take on the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
SGA Eyes a Big Game
The Thunder need a top performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander if they want to secure the series victory in San Antonio. Despite averaging under his regular season mark of 31.1 points per game in the series, Gilgeous-Alexander had 32 points in Game 5. A breakthrough game from the two-time reigning NBA MVP could be what his team needs.
Ares’s Viral Moment
Gilgeous-Alexander is known as a family man, married to his high school sweetheart, Hailey Summers, with whom he has a son named Ares. Ares has become a familiar face at Thunder games, gaining popularity with fans.
Following the Thunder’s Game 5 victory over the Spurs on May 26, Ares was seen running around Oklahoma City’s home court. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was filmed pretending to chase him, then picking him up and putting him on his back.
The NBA’s Instagram account shared the video, captioning it: “37 minutes of action in a WCF win.. dad duties begin for @shai postgame!”
Father-Son Interview
The Instagram post also included photos of Shai and Ares embracing, along with a mock interview with Ares. Asked if his dad is good at basketball, Ares responded with a quick, “Yes!”
He correctly identified SGA’s number with some help from his dad. However, he stated he doesn’t want to play basketball when he grows up.
Whether Ares follows in his father’s footsteps remains to be seen.