Nickeil Alexander-Walker shut down his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in a play-in victory in 2023 that sent the Thunder home and clinched the Timberwolves’ second consecutive playoff berth.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker #1 of Canada line up on the court for the playing of national anthems before an exhibition game against the United States ahead of the Paris Olympic Games at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The United States defeated Canada 86-72. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It was a breakout defensive performance for Alexander-Walker, the first step in the guard earning a spot in Minnesota’s rotation for years to come. It also was a showing that carried some added weight given the opponent.
“I know they’re like brothers or something,” Anthony Edwards said after the game.
The comment drew laughter. Everyone else knew the family lineage. But as it turns out, Edwards was closer to being correct than most knew.
After securing his first Western Conference Finals appearance against, who else, but Alexander-Walker, Gilgeous-Alexander described the opportunity to play against his cousin on such a grand stage.
“It’s tough to even explain. If you know how close we are, he’s literally like my second brother,” Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters. “He has been through every stage of life with me, from picking up a basketball to going to prep school to making the NBA, we’ve gone through every situation together. For both us to be where we are, it’s special.”
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during overtime of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips)
When he says every stage, he means it quite literally. Alexander-Walker recalls going to elementary school with his cousin and the dreams they had of playing basketball at the highest level. He remembers the conversations they had centering on who was the best between the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Allen Iverson. They made plans for kids in future years to have to debate: “Nickeil or Shai?”
The pursuit of such heights brought the cousins from Toronto to Tennessee, where they attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga for their junior and senior seasons of high school. The cousins lived together with then-Hamilton Heights head coach Zach Ferrell.
“They shared beds that were feet apart, and they literally did every moment of life together for two years while they were in Tennessee,” Ferrell told The Oklahoman. “As close as any two people could be.”
Finally, basketball took them on separate journeys. Gilgeous-Alexander committed to Kentucky, while Alexander-Walker went to Virginia Tech. That’s when Alexander-Walker said the two knew they wanted to have their own individual identities. But the support remained.
Gilgeous-Alexander left Kentucky for the draft after one season. A year later, Alexander-Walker went pro. And on the night he was selected No. 17 overall, his cousin was right by his side.
“It’s a blessing, obviously. But we worked for it our whole life. And we knew, since as early as I could remember, that we’d both make it, and we’re here today,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN on his cousin’s draft night. “We still have more to prove. It doesn’t stop here for us, and we’re ready for the challenge.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s path to greatness in the NBA has been more of a straight-line ascension, but Alexander-Walker has also now proven himself to be a high-end, two-way wing who’s set to cash in for a large payday this offseason. Truth be told, Gilgeous-Alexander has always likely had the upper hand over his cousin. But on Alexander-Walker’s draft night, when asked who won the majority of the one-on-one bouts, Gilgeous-Alexander smiled and said, “I’ll say him, because it’s his day.”
No such concessions will be made in this series.
After the Thunder topped Denver in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday to secure this brotherly bout, Alexander-Walker’s mom apparently texted Gilgeous-Alexander’s dad, “Oh it’s war now.”
“It’s all love at the end of the day, but it’s really cool,” Alexander-Walker told reporters. “It’s a real cool feeling, especially if I go on my phone, it’s the only thing I see — especially from friends and family back home. I think 10 years from now, 20 years from now, I’ll be able to appreciate the moment for what it was and what we were able to accomplish.”
That list of achievements is long. Draft nights, Olympics, now a Western Conference Finals trip shared, though this time through opposing lenses. That’s what makes this experience a little different.
“Off the court, it’s always going to be love and family time, hanging out. Like he mentioned earlier, we have gone through so many things in life together — even like fatherhood. So just having a chance to see his kids, him to see mine and just be able to interact like that,” Alexander-Walker said. “But (in) times like this, you want to keep it as business as possible. But at the same time, enjoying this once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
With a specific mission in mind.
“In this time, the only thing I care about is making sure the Wolves get four wins,” Alexander-Walker said. “It’s kind of like playing poker. You’ve got to play the man. I can’t air out all my tricks right now. I can’t give up the strategies. But I think it’s just enjoying the opportunities, enjoying the matchup. I’m going to get the best of him sometimes, he’s going to get the best of me. But not backing down, and trying to stop him more than he can stop me in whatever ways and facets that looks like.”
The feeling is mutual on the other end.
“I am trying to take his head off,” Gilgeous-Alexander said with a laugh. “For sure.”
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