Three seasons ago, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked into his first All-Star Game as one of the league’s rising stars. From that moment, he’s catapulted. MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA, All-Defense, signature shoe, and the leader of Oklahoma City’s first-ever title.
Now, entering the 2025-26 season, Jalen Williams is standing in a similar spot. Last season featured Dub’s first All-Star appearance, All-NBA honors, All-Defense, plus a surge of endorsements and global reach. The 24-year-old finds himself where Shai once was: on the verge of superstardom.
The question is simple: is this the year J Dub makes his leap?
The Player.
Dub’s rise isn’t solely about his accolades; it’s him and the way he approaches and plays the game. He’s the definition of versatility: a wing who can guard one through four (five, if you ask him), create off the dribble with ease, and score without demanding the spotlight. He’ll score 25 to close out a playoff game when Shai’s getting an over-abundance of attention, then, in the next game, close out a game on the defense end, locking up opposing squads’ All-Star.
“The thing about Dub that makes him so unique is he’s got an engine that runs on both ends of the floor, and that gives him such a high floor as a player,” said Thunder general manager Sam Presti. “As time goes on, you start to trim the fat in different areas and become a more efficient player — but that’s a real process. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
He’s a premium in this league because he can’t be boxed into a single role. Even on a championship team where everyone’s role felt expressively carved out, Dub was the exception. He can be Shai’s second option, a defensive stopper, the glue guy that keeps OKC’s engine running, or the outright star of the team on any given night. He’s unusually efficient, posting an elite 51.3 percent from the field during his career, and his impact without needing the ball on the regular makes him the type of player every dyansty depends on and every team in the league yearns for.
There’s seemingly no “system” for Dub. He’s starting to bend it in his favor.
The Culture Connector.
Shai reintroduced OKC back into the cultural spotlight after the team lost Russell Westbrook in 2019. He brought it back with the MVP, the 001s, and the multiple colorways that preceded the original shoe, his fashion-forwardness. Dub, while bringing the fashion and endorsements, just like Shai, he brings something different, yet just as valuable: connection. His game speaks loud but his personality hits different and that’s something I noticed the night he was drafted. He’s approachable, grounded, family-oriented, and keeps his circle of friends tight; he’s naturally magnetic. It’s why Adidas was interested. It’s why ECKO UNLTD came calling, and it’s why more companies want a piece of Dub. That’s also why fans see him as more than Shai’s sidekick.
Shai brings something special. Dub brings something special. Together, they’re forming a one-two punch that’s bigger than what’s happening inside NBA arenas. They’re building an identity here in little ‘ole OKC. Dub and Shai are both becoming cultural figures who are backing their stardom up with winning.
The Leap?
So, we get it: Dub’s a star in his own right. But what does “the leap” really look like for Dub? I don’t see it being solely about him bumping his scoring average or adding another line to the list of accolades he’s already accomplished. The leap means becoming a player you have to start putting in MVP conversations. The player who shifts the conversation from being the Robin to Shai’s Batman, or merely “Shai’s running mate” to “co-star” when mentioning a dynasty. I’m talking about Kobe and Shaq.
While bumping his point per game average isn’t a necesity, consistency is. For Jalen to reach this level, he’s undoubtably going to have to consistently start notching 20+ point games on a consistent basis, while maintaining the same defensive edge that’s already separated him from other rising stars near him. Reaching this level means forcing more touches in crunch time, owning big moments on a consistent basis when defenses tilt towards Shai, while cwrrying the same efficiency, while shouldering a bigger load.
But still, beyond box scores, the leap is also about his presence that’s already on point. It’s the way he steps into interviews, the way his endorsements continue to build, the way his voice in the locker room carries weight. Looking back at every dynasty, they aren’t built on one face, and in OKC, Dub looks ready to be the second one etched into this era.
The Big Picture.
OKC changed the narrative last season. They went from a young, fun, promising, upstart team to champions. From the struggle of being noticed in a small market, to receiving an overwhelming amount of attention. Yes, Shai is the superstar, the reigning MVP of the league and the NBA Finals. He’s the face of it all. But for OKC to move from an NBA champion to a dynastic franchise, they’ll need someone else to near those heights, which is where Dub comes in.
If year three was Jalen Williams’ arrival, year four is his opportunity to help further define OKC’s future by taking yet another leap, something he’s done every year to this point. So if last season was Shai’s masterpiece, 2025-26 may be Dub’s turn.
