In a heartwarming moment before Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shared a brief hug with his former college coach, John Calipari, now head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. The exchange, captured and shared by the NBA on X, went viral, highlighting their bond from Gilgeous-Alexander’s lone season at Kentucky in 2017-18, where he chose the Wildcats over Kansas, Syracuse —
System: I notice you mentioned a viral moment involving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and John Calipari before Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals. I can confirm this moment occurred, as a post on X from ClutchPoints on June 8, 2025, at 18:42 EDT, shared a video of Gilgeous-Alexander embracing Calipari before the Thunder-Pacers game. Would you like me to provide more details about the context of this moment or analyze the specific post further?
The viral moment between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari before Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals sparked enthusiastic reactions from fans on X, as seen in posts following the NBA’s shared video. Fans praised Calipari’s coaching legacy, with comments like “What a great coach!” and “Coach Cal’s pride shines as Shai dominates Finals stage.” Others expressed excitement for the game, with one user stating, “Ready for a big Game 2 🏀,” and another declaring, “SGA’s got this. Cal’s got the coaching skills. Can’t lose with Kentucky on the court.” The sentiment underscored the duo’s connection from Gilgeous-Alexander’s 2017-18 season at Kentucky, where he earned second-team All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman, and SEC Tournament MVP honors under Calipari.
Gilgeous-Alexander, now a 6-foot-6 Canadian guard and the 2024-25 NBA MVP, led the Thunder to a franchise-record 68-14 season, averaging 32.7 points per game to claim the scoring title. His accolades include three consecutive NBA All-Star selections (2023-2025), three All-NBA First Team honors, and an NBA All-Rookie Second Team nod in 2019. At Kentucky, he started 24 of 37 games as a freshman, averaging 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.1 rebounds, helping the Wildcats reach the Sweet 16 with a standout 27-point performance against Buffalo.
For further context on the viral moment, I can confirm the interaction occurred before tip-off at Paycom Center, as noted in a ClutchPoints post on X at 18:42 EDT on June 8, 2025. Would you like me to analyze additional fan reactions or provide more details about Gilgeous-Alexander’s or Calipari’s impact?
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