Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been quizzed about if he envisions himself as face of the league in what feels like a transitional period for the NBA.

After finishing fifth and second over the last two years in the MVP ballot, there's only one upgrade left for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to make -- win the whole thing. That could happen as soon as the 2024-25 season.

Once NBA pantheons like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry call it quits, who fills up the power vacuum left in their exits? One candidate is Shai Gilgoeus-Alexander. The talking point has been brought up ad nauseam over the years as the James-Durant-Curry trio enters the twilight stage of their careers.

After the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Atlanta Hawks 135-119, All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander responded to Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James ' social media post regarding the NBA's face of the league conversation.

At All-Star weekend, Gilgeous-Alexander said the glass ceiling of playing for a small-market squad no longer exists. Fresh off his first Converse signature shoe reveal, the 26-year-old has become a household name due to his rapid ascension into one of the league's best players over the last three seasons.

According to OptaSTATS, he has scored at least 20 points in each of his last 50 games where he played under 40 minutes. The next longest streak of that nature is only 30 games. When SGA is pulled out of a game early, it's because he's done more than enough to earn the rest and put the game out of reach for his opponents.