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There’s one more feather for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s cap to end 2023. The basketball star from Hamilton, Ont., is The Canadian Press male athlete of the year.
The 25-year-old received 12 votes, ahead of Connor McDavid of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers (11), while golfer Nick Taylor and decathlon world champion Pierce LePage were tied for third (10).
Gilgeous-Alexander had a breakout 2022-23 season for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder that saw him finish fourth in scoring at 31.4 points per game and become the only the second Canadian beside Hall of Famer Steve Nash to make the all-NBA first team.
He was also a first-time all-star, the fourth Canadian to be one, while the Thunder exceeded expectations almost squeezing into the NBA playoffs in a competitive Western Conference.
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Gilgeous-Alexander then led Canada to bronze at the FIBA World Cup in September. He was a tournament all-star averaging 24.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in eight games, as Canada picked up its first-ever medal at the tournament.
The 25-year-old is currently third in the NBA in scoring at 31.1 points per contest and first in steals with 2.8 per game, with Oklahoma City sitting in second in the West in 2023-24.
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