As the NBA playoffs roll on, the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the favorites to win it all in 2025. They have a 1-0 series lead over Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals, and their star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was just named the 2024/25 NBA MVP for the regular season.
For astute Gator fans, Gilgeous-Alexander's stardom is a reminder of what could have been in Gainesville.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once committed to the Florida Gators
Back in 2015, Gilgeous-Alexander was still a bit of an under-the-radar guard out of Tennessee. Then coach Mike White offered Gilgeous-Alexander in November of 2015, and he committed less than two weeks later.
In 2016, his profile started to go up, and Gilgeous-Alexander started getting visits from other coaches around the country. According to his 247 profile, Gilgeous-Alexander made an unofficial visit to Florida in September of 2016, and White made a visit to his house a couple of weeks later.
Within a month of Mike White's visit, Gilgeous-Alexander decommitted from Florida, and by November 2016, he signed on the dotted line with Kentucky.
Had everything for Gilgeous-Alexander played out the same if he had stuck with his Florida commitment, the Gators would have had him for just the 2017/18 campaign before he left for the NBA. That year, Florida was ranked as high as 5th before tumbling out of the polls and finishing 21-13.
The Gators did make the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed and beat St. Bonaventure in the first round before falling to No. 3 Texas Tech 69-66 in the second round.
Would Florida have won that game if Gilgeous-Alexander had been on the roster? Probably and they would have liked their chances against Purdue in the Sweet 16, who Texas Tech went on the beat.
Had Gilgeous-Alexander wound up at Florida, the narrative surrounding Mike White might have been different.
But alas, he didn't, as Florida fans are always left to wonder, "What if?"