Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Los Angeles Clippers 2018-19 Panini Flawless Basketball Vertical Patch Autographs 10/25 #3 #VP-SGA BGS 9.5/10 Autograph | Rookie Card | On-Card Autograph | Game-Worn Patch

When it comes to young, exciting talent in the NBA, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has undoubtedly burst onto the scene as one of the brightest stars. At just 27 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself at the summit of the league's most elite talent. The offered card is one of the finest commemorations of the beginning of this extraordinary athlete’s career available.

With the 11th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected Gilgeous-Alexander. His time as a Hornet did not last long, not even a full day to be exact as he was traded later that night to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Miles Bridges, who the Clippers had selected with the 12th pick, and two additional second round picks. Shai felt good about the trade, commenting shortly after; "I feel like they don't have an alpha dog point guard right now and a guy that brings ultimate leadership to the group, I feel that's one of my biggest attributes and what I bring to the table." 

At just 20 years old, Shai was quickly thrown into the equation for the Clippers, seeing action in all 82 games while serving as the starting guard in 73 contests. He hit the 20-point mark for the first time in his career on December 17, 2018 against the Portland Trail Blazers, notching 24 points in a 131-127 loss. Just a few weeks later, he matched his career-high point total in a January 18, 2019 contest against the Golden State Warriors, a team he would become very familiar with come season's end. Gilgeous-Alexander finished his rookie season with averages of 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting just under 50% from the field. He finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting behind Collin Sexton, Jaren Jackson Jr., Deandre Ayton, Trae Young, and Luka Dončić, while also earning second team All-Rookie honors. 

As a team, the Clippers finished the regular season with a record of 48-34, securing a spot in the playoffs. This set the stage for an opening round matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Although the Clippers lost the series 4-2, Gilgeous-Alexander made a strong impression. He notably scored a regular season and postseason career-high 25 points in Game 4, also the team-high for the game.

The following offseason saw major changes. On July 6, 2019 at 1:54 a.m. eastern time, while most of America was sleeping, ESPN reporter and NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the basketball world via Twitter by firing off a series of tweets: “Free agent forward Kawhi Leonard has informed runners-up teams of his plans: He's signing with the Clippers, league sources tell ESPN.” And just one minute later: “Oklahoma City is trading All-Star Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for a record-setting collection of draft choices, league sources tell ESPN.” It was clear the Clippers were looking to drastically change their starting rotation as they aimed to become the juggernaut in the West. What was not immediately clear, was the entire package being shipped off to acquire Paul George. As details were revealed, the Thunder would now own the rights to five first round draft picks, ability to swap two future first round picks with the Clippers, and players Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The trade marked a dramatic shift in the Clippers' pursuit of a championship, while the Thunder entered full rebuild mode. In his first season with the Thunder, Shai led the team in scoring, averaging 19 points per game. Though his second season in OKC was cut short by injury, Gilgeous-Alexander increased his scoring to 23.7 points per game, alongside 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists.

On August 3, 2021, Gilgeous-Alexander agreed to a $172 million rookie extension keeping him in Oklahoma City for the next five years, signaling his commitment to Oklahoma City’s rebuild. Shai continued to battle injuries in his third season with the Thunder and only appeared in 56 games. In his fourth season there, Gilgeous-Alexander took another step toward stardom, becoming only the third guard in NBA history to average 30 points, 1.5 steals, and 1 block per game, joining Dwyane Wade and Michael Jordan. These averages earned him his first All-NBA First Team selection. 

Fast forward to the start of the 2024-25 season and the fruits of Oklahoma City’s rebuild were evident. The Thunder had just made the Conference Semifinals, where they fell to the eventual Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks, and in the offseason Gilgeous-Alexander’s determination to get over the hump was plain to see. He spent the offseason refining his game, preparing for another season. And as the 2024-25 regular season came to a close, it was clear that his hard work had paid off. He became a scoring machine, leading the league in 20 point, 30 point, 40 point, and even 50 point outbursts. 

On January 22, 2025 in front of more than 17,000 fans in Oklahoma City, Gilgeous-Alexander had a career night, scoring 54 points in a 123-114 win over the Utah Jazz. 54 marked a new career high, and at the time, the most points scored by a Canadian in an NBA game, a record that would later be broken by Jamal Murray. With this stellar performance, Gilgeous-Alexander became only the 12th player in NBA history to record 50 points in four or more contests in a single season joining legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Michel Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and others.

His four 50-point games in the 2024-25 season also gave him the record for most in a season by a Canadian born player, a country that has consistently produced top NBA talent including Steve Nash, Andrew Wiggins, and RJ Barrett. 

Last season Gilgeous-Alexander also became only the third player in league history to record 45 30+ point games in three consecutive seasons. He joined pretty good company: Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. He also became just the fourth player in NBA history to score 20+ points in 65 straight games in a single season, joining only Oscar Robertson, Jordan, and Chamberlain. 

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder breezed through the opening round of the 2024–25 NBA Playoffs with a commanding 4–0 series win over the Memphis Grizzlies. In the Conference Semifinals, the Thunder were set to face the Denver Nuggets, led by reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić. The series proved to be difficult for the young Thunder squad, but they managed to take the series in seven games, closing things out with a dominant 125–93 victory at home. The Thunder advanced to the Conference Finals, where they faced a red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves team that had defeated both the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors 4–1. Despite Minnesota’s impressive run, the Thunder flipped the script and cruised to a 4–1 series win. In the midst of the series, on May 22nd, Gilgeous-Alexander was named the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, beating out Jokić and joining Steve Nash as the only Canadiens to accomplish the feat. Along with Michael Jordan, Gilgeous-Alexander is the only other player in league history to average 32 points and 6 assists per game while shooting 50% from the floor in a season. The Thunder were NBA Finals bound for only the second time in franchise history since relocating to Oklahoma City. 

The stage was set for the 2024-25 NBA Finals, with the Oklahoma City Thunder facing off against the Indiana Pacers, led by Tyrese Haliburton and his clutch late-game heroics.

Haliburton didn’t miss a beat in Game 1, stunning the Oklahoma City crowd with a game-winning mid-range jumper to give the Pacers a 1-0 series lead. Gilgeous-Alexander responded in Game 2, dropping 34 points to lead the Thunder to a 123-107 win, evening the series at 1–1. Just three days later, Indiana struck back in Game 3 with a 116–107 victory. But SGA again rose to the occasion in Game 4, scoring 35 points to knot the series at 2-2. Back in Oklahoma City for Game 5, Gilgeous-Alexander delivered with another 30-point performance to give the Thunder a 3-2 lead, putting them one win away from their first championship since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Facing elimination, the Pacers clawed out a Game 6 win, forcing a decisive Game 7. Midway through the first quarter of Game 7, Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury taking him out of the game and drastically reducing the Pacers’ chances. SGA led all scorers with 29 points, as the Thunder secured the title and hoisted the NBA trophy for the first time in Oklahoma City history and only the second time in franchise history. Over the seven-game series, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game, earning him the 2025 NBA Finals MVP.

The future could not be any brighter in Oklahoma City. With the team continuing to reap the rewards of the Paul George trade, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are poised to remain at the forefront of the NBA for years to come.

The offered card commemorates this perennial All-Star and reigning MVP’s debut season in a product that has become legendary in the trading card scene: Panini Flawless. 

In October of 2013, Panini released Flawless for the first time with 2012-13 Flawless Basketball, and it instantly became a set of basketball fantasy. Delivered to collectors not in a standard box but instead in a metal briefcase, the product made history: $1250 for a box, the most expensive trading card product ever at the time of release. For that, collectors received seven autographed cards, two patch cards, and a card embedded with a precious gem, either a diamond or emerald. None had a print run larger than 25. Each 2012-13 box also included a Kobe Bryant Anthology pack.

The set became an instant classic and has become for many the highest profile release of the year not only for basketball but also American football and international soccer, while also seeing releases in baseball, collegiate football, and WWE wrestling. For basketball hobbyists, it has become especially beloved for rarities like the six-logoman booklets offered in the initial release as well as the return of triple logomen in 2020-21. The low print runs remain highly appealing, and in many cases, since the COVID-19 pandemic, it offers one of the few opportunities for collectors to chase game-worn patches and patch autographs of that year’s top rookies. These factors have combined to make Flawless a staple in the basketball card space and have placed it in the eyes of many as a spiritual successor to Exquisite Collection.

This card is an exemplary print of Shai’s vertical rookie patch autograph. It features a striking on-card autograph along with a breathtaking game-worn four color patch. The card has been authenticated and deemed to be in Gem Mint condition, receiving a grade of 9.5 from Beckett Grading Services (BGS). The autograph was graded and received a 10 from BGS. It is among the highest condition prints of the card ever certified and, at the time of cataloging, none of the other 19 examples of this card have been graded higher by Beckett. The "10/25" stamp on the card signifies its place in the limited print run.

The BGS certificate number for this card is: 0012683751.

Going Deeper - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Journey to the NBA

Before he was an MVP frontrunner on the best team in the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a teenager who failed to make the junior varsity roster as a freshman. This failure sparked a years-long fire to become the best he could ever be. Gilgeous-Alexnader’s athletic pedigree was strong: his mother participated in the 1992 Summer Olympics and his dad, who coached him as a youth player, won a basketball championship while enrolled at Georges Vanier Secondary School in Toronto. From a young age, SGA knew he wanted to be the face of the NBA.

As a result of not making the junior varsity roster, Shai found himself on the midget squad at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School. He found success as he was named team MVP while taking the team to the midget boys' city championship. He transferred to Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School for his sophomore year, but soon realized he needed to face tougher competition to reach the next level.

Just prior to his junior year, Gilgeous-Alexander and his cousin, current Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, transferred to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Tennessee where they faced better competition. In his first year, Gilgeous-Alexander helped bring a National Association of Christian Athletes national championship to Chattanooga, although his cousin was known to be the point scorer at the time. 

In 2016, Shai participated in Basketball Without Borders, a program aimed at promoting basketball and positive social change amongst youth. That same year, he competed in the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in Chile as a member of the Canadian team. SGA, alongside his cousin, helped lead Canada to the title game, before falling to the United States and finishing with a silver medal.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s two years in Tennessee and on the international stage were certainly fruitful as he saw his stock rise to that of a four star recruit. He received offers from some of the top programs in the country such as the University of Kansas, Syracuse University, and the University of Texas. He ultimately settled on the University of Florida. In a turn of events that is not uncommon for high school athletes, Gilgeous-Alexander wound up decommitting from the University of Florida. He opted to stay in the SEC, after being offered a scholarship from then University of Kentucky coach, John Calipari. 

At Kentucky, despite a stacked roster, Gilgeous-Alexander quickly became the starting point guard midway through the season. By January, he had been penciled in for the starting point guard position for the remainder of the season. 

Gilgeous-Alexander looked phenomenal in the SEC tournament, cruising through the competition even in the SEC championship game against rival Tennessee. In a 77-72 win, Shai put up 29 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while helping Kentucky to punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament. Gilgeous-Alexander’s standout performance in the tournament resulted in him being selected to the All-SEC Tournament Team and being named the most valuable player of the tournament.

Similarly to the SEC tournament, Gilgeous-Alexander and Kentucky rolled through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament with commanding wins over Davidson and Buffalo. Kentucky was met with its toughest matchup in the Sweet 16 against Kansas State. With just a second left on the clock, SGA attempted the game-tying three-pointer only to have it bounce off the glass and off of the rim. With a 61-58 victory, Kansas State, as a nine seed, had pulled off the upset against a stacked Kentucky team. University of Kentucky fans and players were stunned, and with that came the end of Gilgeous-Alexander’s collegiate career.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s meteoric ascent to the top of the NBA is a testament to his dedication, vision, and unparalleled work ethic to the game of basketball. From an unknown prospect to one of the league’s most dominant forces, he has made it known where he stands among the game’s best, showcasing the lifelong dedication that it takes to be a superstar.