Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Toronto, Ontario, won the 2023 Northern Star Award, given to the best Canadian athlete of the year. It was a memorable 2023 calendar year for Gilgeous-Alexander, as he finished fourth in NBA scoring in 2022-23, was on the All-NBA First Team, participated in the NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah, and captained Team Canada takes a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Asia.
With the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.4 points per game, 6.2 assists per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and an NBA-high 2.8 steals per game during the 2023-24 season. He also has a field goal percentage of .550, a three-point percentage of .343 and a free throw percentage of .917.
In the 2022–23 season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.4 points per game, 5.5 assists per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 1.6 steals per game, one block per game and had one field goal attempt. Percentage of .510, a three-point percentage of . 345 and a free throw percentage of .905.
At the World Cup, Gilgeous-Alexander was also fourth in scoring as he averaged 24.5 points per game. He also led the tournament with an efficiency percentage of 30.4. This was the first time in World Championship history that Canada won a medal, and as the top country in the Americas, Canada qualified for the World Championships 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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