June 21, 2018 will always be a night to remember for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – a night in which his life would change forever.
In early April, the Hamilton, Ont. native made the decision to enter the NBA Draft after a successful season at the University of Kentucky. As a 19-year-old freshman, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals over 37 games. He was named MVP of the SEC Tournament after helping the Wildcats win the tournament championship.
Throughout the draft process, Gilgeous-Alexander was a projected lottery pick; on June 21, those projections proved to be correct. The 6-foot-6 guard was selected 11th overall by the Charlotte Hornets and was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, a team in search of youth for its backcourt.
If his summer performances (19.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds per game) serve as any indicator of what is to come, the Clippers will also look back on June 21, 2018 as the day things changed for the franchise.