“‘Lucky One’ is about the kind of love that’s hard to talk about…”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is proof that not all assists show up on the stat sheet.
The 26-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder guard went viral moments after winning the 2025 NBA Finals — and it had nothing to do with him being voted the Finals MVP (or regular season MVP, for that matter).
Instead, his viral moment came during the postgame celebration when his inner father started showing.
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Teammate Isaiah Hartenstein was in the middle of an interview with ESPN’s sideline reporter Lisa Salters when he was asked about his 13-month old son, Elijah, who was sleeping in his arms.
“I don’t know why he’s asleep right now, but I guess it’s not loud enough,” he said into the mic.
As Hartenstein was talking, his son’s head (which wasn’t being supported properly) was starting to flop around — until Gilgeous-Alexander stepped in.
With a disappointed look on his face, Gilgeous-Alexander gently propped the baby’s head up.
Hartenstein, who welcomed Elijah with his wife, Kourtney Kellar, in May 2024, quickly followed — and the baby opted to rest his head on his father’s chest.
Fans were quick to applaud the reigning MVP for his swift action.
“Add another assist to his stat line,” one fan wrote in the comment section of ESPN’s Instagram video.
“He had the grandma attitude face like ‘hold that baby head,’” another fan commented.
“lol his grandma taught him that . HOLD THAT BABY HEAD UP,” a third fan wrote.
Some fans argued that Gilgeous-Alexander “didn’t actually hold his head up,” but others defended him by claiming that he “understood that not everyone is comfortable” with others touching their children.
“I can tell Shai a good dad, just based on this one action,” another fan wrote.
“Once you become a parent, it’s just a natural reaction. I am so happy for them!” a fifth fan commented.
Gilgeous-Alexander became a first-time father in 2024
Gilgeous-Alexander just had one of the most successful years of his life — on and off the court.
Not only did he lead the NBA in scoring, win the league MVP, win the NBA Finals and win Finals MVP all in the same season, but he’s just 14 months removed from becoming a father for the first time.
The MVP welcomed his first child — a son named Ares — with his girlfriend, Hailey Summer, on April 24, 2024, one month before Hartenstein’s son was born.
Gilgeous-Alexander announced the news in an April 30 Instagram post.
In the photo, he revealed that Ares was 7.3 lbs. And 20 inches long at the time of his birth, which was clocked at 10:25 p.m..
On April 25, Gilgeous-Alexander took to Instagram to celebrate his little man’s first birthday.
“No no no!! One already 😭 where does the time go!! Happy birthday to our little man, you complete us,” he wrote in the caption alongside a series of photos of the family of three.
And he had a viral moment of his own after his daddy won his first NBA title.
In a video shared by the NBA, Ares was seated next to the Larry O’Brien trophy (for the champions) and the Bill Russell Finals MVP trophy for a quick photo-op.
Except the curious chap nearly broke his father’s trophy with his toddler strength.
“He is just showing y'all his handles he controlled the rock and spun it around we good,” one fan wrote in the comment section.
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“Little buddy got that aura in him,” another fan wrote.
