TORONTO (February 3, 2023) – For the first time in his NBA career, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named an NBA All-Star, after being announced as a Western Conference All-Star reserve for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game taking place on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who grew up in Hamilton, Ont., joined elite company as he became the fourth Canadian-born player in NBA history to be named an All-Star, joining Steve Nash, Jamaal Magloire and Andrew Wiggins.

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It’s been a breakout season for the five-year veteran guard, who ranks fifth in the NBA with 30.8 points-per-game, while averaging 5.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Gilgeous-Alexander has paced an Oklahoma City Thunder team that is in the heart of the playoff race in the Western Conference with a 24-27 record — already matching their win total of 24 from last season.

Gilgeous-Alexander represented Canada most recently in FIBA World Cup Qualifying this past summer, suiting up for the Men’s National Team in a trio of games. His best performance came in a 95-75 win over Dominican Republic, scoring 32 points in his hometown of Hamilton. He is one of 14 players a part of a core committed to Canada Basketball ahead of this summer’s FIBA Men’s Basketball World Cup and the lead up to the 2024 Olympic Games.

Gilgeous-Alexander joins a contingent of Canadians at All-Star weekend in Utah, after Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and Leonard Miller were all named to the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars event on Tuesday, while Shaedon Sharpe will take part in the 2023 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.

NBA All-Star 2023 in Salt Lake City, hosted in conjunction with the Utah Jazz, will bring together the most talented and passionate players for a global celebration of the league with Sunday night’s All-Star Game concluding the festivities.

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