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[Saba Sports News] It’s rare to see two family members go head-to-head in the NBA playoffs, but that’s exactly what’s happening in the Western Conference Finals as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the heart of this family rivalry are cousins Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Alexander-Walker’s mother is the sister of Gilgeous-Alexander’s father, making the two guards close relatives — and even closer friends. Despite never playing on the same team, the cousins have supported each other throughout their careers.
But with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, even their family is drawing battle lines.
“My mom called me and said she texted his dad, ‘Oh, it’s war now,’” Alexander-Walker shared before Game 1, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “You know, it’s all love at the end of the day. It’s really cool. Especially when I go on my phone — it’s the only thing I see. I think 10, 20 years from now, I’ll be able to truly appreciate the moment and what we accomplished. But right now, all I care about is helping the Wolves get four wins.”
Though Alexander-Walker was joking about the “war,” there’s no doubt that the stakes are high — not just for a Finals berth, but also for lifelong bragging rights at future family get-togethers.
Gilgeous-Alexander, fresh off leading the Thunder past the Denver Nuggets in a dramatic Game 7, is equally fired up about facing his cousin.
“It’ll be very fun. It’s hard to even explain,” he said. “If you know how close we are — he’s like my second brother. We’ve been through everything together: picking up a basketball, going to prep school, making the NBA.
“To compete against each other is special. But I’m trying to take his head off, for sure. Completely.”
Chances are, the cousins will get matched up at times during the series. Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s leading scorer and expected 2024–25 MVP, will be the focus of Minnesota’s defense. Alexander-Walker, one of the Wolves’ top perimeter defenders off the bench, may be tasked with slowing down his own family.
And when that happens, both Nickeil’s mother and Shai’s father will be watching closely — each hoping their son gets the upper hand.
Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals tips off Tuesday night in Oklahoma City.