The very moment Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was traded from the LA Clippers to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, fans had the utmost confidence that Kawhi Leonard would return to the NBA Finals and win in back-to-back seasons. Other teams like the Los Angeles Lakers were scary, but at first glance, rivals would need the perfect roster to destroy the Clippers.
However, the feeling of immense disappointment spread when the Clippers were one win away from the Western Conference Finals in their first year with Leonard and Paul George, only to blow it to Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets.
Furthermore, the expectation for the following year diminished slightly, and that is when the Clippers made the Western Conference Finals for the first time in history.
Year after year, fans in the NBA Community justified the Clippers' loss in the trade because of the player Gilgeous-Alexander had become. The fully evolved version of himself was a superstar, all-around scorer, and top-ten player in the world who could run a championship-contending team, and there was no debate against it.
Last night, Gilgeous-Alexander proved he got the last laugh and that the Thunder won the trade to begin with; it just took a few extra years.
The LA Clippers and their fanbase believed they won the historical 2019 trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder until now
Though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won MVP and scoring champion this season, team success was the only way for him to really show the Oklahoma City Thunder triumphed over the Paul George trade. Had the Thunder lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, the cycle would have been rinse and repeat, and LA Clipper fans would still have a valid argument in the debate.
Conversely, Gilgeous-Alexander has finally made it to the NBA Finals, further than the entirety of the Clippers' franchise. Not only did he win over Minnesota, but he dominated, averaging 31.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds, shooting 45.7% from the field. As a result, he took home his first Western Conference Finals MVP trophy.
The Clippers regretted their decision not long after they made it. Yet, this feeling increased significantly over the last 24 hours as they realized LA was trending in the right direction by developing Gilgeous-Alexander and their future picks.
All they can do now is watch their former guard dominate and learn that the process to success cannot be rushed.