NBA Western Conference Finals staged a cousin battle: Alexander and Walker s love and competition collision

The 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals showdown between cousins

In the 2025 NBA Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves attracted much attention. One of the highlights is the battle between cousins ​​of the two teams - Shea Gilgers of the Thunder - Alexander and Alexander Walker of the Timberwolves.

Couples Background Information

Shay Gilgers-Alexander and Alexander-Walker are the same age (26 years old). Their home is only 40 minutes away. They have grown up together since their kindergarten days, playing ball, training together, and facing challenges in life together. They have a deep relationship. Shay Gilgers-Alexander once said that his cousin is like his second brother. The two have experienced the growth process from high school stars to NBA players at the same time. They are now playing for different teams and becoming opponents on the Western Conference Finals stage. Shay Gilgers-Alexander was the 11th pick in the first round in 2018, growing into an MVP-level superstar in the Thunder; while Alexander-Walker was selected as the 17th pick in 2019, and is an important rotation player for the Timberwolves.

Physical talent comparison

Height and wingspan: Shay Gilgers - Alexander is 198cm tall and has a wingspan of 212cm. Such height and wingspan give him a certain advantage in the defender position, and can have a better field of vision and coverage when passing and defending. Alexander Walker is 196cm tall and has a wingspan of 207cm. Although he is slightly inferior to his cousin in height and wingspan, the gap is not obvious. In the game, Shea Gilgers-Alexander may have a certain advantage in rebounding competition, blocking, etc. with his slightly taller height and longer wingspan; and Alexander-Walker can also use his physical conditions to respond flexibly in defense and offense.

Athletic ability: Shay Gilgers - Alexander has top athletic ability, his explosive power and speed are excellent, which makes him unstoppable when breaking through the defense. He can easily complete movements such as changing directions and acceleration, and can also force breakthroughs and score points when facing multiple defenses. For example, in the game, he often uses his speed and explosive power to start from outside the three-point line and quickly cut into the basket to complete a dunk or layup. In contrast, Alexander Walker is not inferior in athletic ability, but may be slightly inferior in absolute terms of explosive power and speed. However, Alexander Walker's athletic ability is enough to support him to actively compete on the defensive end and complete some breakthroughs and fast breaks on the offensive end.

Strength and Confrontation: Shay Gilgers - Alexander has performed well in strength and confrontation, and he is able to maintain balance and shoot stability with more physical contact. When facing a strong defensive player, he can use his strength to force a breakthrough or make a back-to-back single. Alexander-Walker also has a certain foundation in strength and confrontation, but it may be a little harder in the face of intense confrontation than Shea Gilgers-Alexander. However, Alexander Walker can make up for the lack of strength with flexible foot movements and defensive skills.

Career match record

The cousins ​​have met many times in the NBA field, and have fought 14 career matches, each achieving 7 wins, with a record of equality. In four regular season matches between the two teams this season, Shay Gilgers-Alexander was in full swing, scoring 37 points, 39 points and 40 points respectively in 3 games. However, in a playoff game in 2023, Alexander Walker played a significant restrictive role against Shea Gilgers-Alexander. In this game, Shea Gilgers-Alexander made only 5 of 19 shots and scored only 16 points, with his shooting percentage and scored far below normal levels. And Alexander Walker contributed a certain strength to the team in this game, showing his defensive targeting against his cousin.

Shay Gilgers-Alexander: When talking about the upcoming match against his cousin in the Western Conference Finals, Sheay Gilgers-Alexander said that this would be very interesting. They have experienced every stage of their lives together, which is very special, but on the field, he will definitely try his best to win, and even joked that he wants to "twist his head."

Alexander-Walker: Alexander-Walker sees Shea Gilgers-Alexander as his role model, saying that he will "enter" his cousin with a crazier defensive intensity, and that the Timberwolves may send him and McDan to take turns to consume Shea Gilgers-Alexander.

The impact on the game, Alexander-Walker, although not the absolute core of the Timberwolves, may play an important role in defending Shea Gilgers-Alexander, and his performance is likely to become one of the key factors in the direction of the series. And Shay Gilgers - Alexander, as the leading star of the Thunder, needs to maintain efficient performance when facing his cousin's defense and lead the team to win. This showdown between cousins ​​is not only a competition of personal honor, but also affects the fate of the two teams, and adds more highlights and topics to the Western Conference Finals.

NBA history of other cousins ​​or brothers in the playoffs

2019 Curry Brothers Division Finals

In the 2019 NBA Division Finals, the Western Conference staged a showdown between the famous Stephen Curry (Warriors) and Seth Curry (Trail Blazers). This is the first time in NBA history that there are brothers in the division finals.. Stephen Curry became famous early and quickly became the best three-pointer in NBA history, while Seth Curry didn't enter the NBA until the summer of 2016. Stephen is very upholding Seth and often says good things about his brother in the media. Before the game, Stephen sent a message to Seth expressing his expectations for meeting in the Western Conference Finals. During the game, the two of them were their own subjects, and their parents decided which side to support by tossing coins. In the end, Stephen Curry's Warriors got a good start. Stephen scored 36 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and made 9 of 15 three-pointers; Seth came on the bench for 19 minutes, made only 1 goal in seven shots, scored 3 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.

In the first round of the Western Conference in 2017, Paul Gasol played for Marc Gasol met the Grizzlies where Marc Gasol was. This is the sixth brother showdown in the NBA playoffs. Both Paul and Mark are competitive people. They had verbal battles in the media after the regular season. One said he was tougher than the opponent's basket, while the other said he was better than the opponent's three-pointer. Even in entertainment events like the All-Star Game, the two of them were dissatisfied with each other for a while after fighting each other. However, this time in the playoffs, Paul expressed his hope to grasp the relationship between each other and develop in a healthy direction.

Other historical showdown cases

In NBA history, there are also situations where brothers such as George McCann vs Ed Miken (1949, 1950, 1953), Bernard King vs Albert King (1983), Chuck Parsons vs Wesley Parsons (1996), Horace Grant vs Harvey Grant (1999), Dorell White vs Deron White (2016) have played out in the playoffs.

Comparison with historical cases

Emotional level: Similar to other cases, Shay Gilgers-Alexander and Alexander-Walker cousins ​​also have deep feelings for each other, but they all showed a strong desire to win on the field. For example, although the Curry brothers had family interactions before the game, they were their own players during the game; Paul and Mark brothers also had verbal competitions before. This conflict between family affection and competition is reflected in every showdown.

The impact level of the match: In previous brothers' duels, the match between brothers often became a major highlight of the game and may also have an impact on the game trend. For example, the Curry Brothers showdown attracted a lot of attention in 2019, and their performance affected the team's victory or defeat. Similarly, the showdown between Shea Gilgers-Alexander and Alexander Walker has also attracted much attention, and Walker's defensive effect against Shea Gilgers-Alexander may influence the direction of the series. Walker's success restrictions on Shay Gilgers-Alexander in the 2023 play-off also make people look forward to his defensive performance in this Western Conference Final.

Growth background: Many blood-related players have grown up and trained together since childhood, and their shared basketball experience has shaped their style and personality. Like Shea Gilgers - Alexander and Alexander Walker played together since childhood, and the Curry brothers also received basketball training. This similar growth background makes their showdown on the court more storytelling and topical.