Shai's father is a sibling of Nickeil's mother, and the two families are close. The two cousins in Shai and Nickeil, grew up together in Toronto, Canada, and even played together in high school at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy.

Western Conference finals will be a family affair this season as presumptive NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Nickeil Alexander-Walker,

As the entire NBA world watched, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit any expectations out of the park in the biggest game of his career. The MVP finalist made Adam Silver's bet look smart to wait another round before they handed him his prestigious trophy.