Hamilton honours NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with key to the city
NBA superstar is only the second recipient of Hamilton’s highest civic honour. The first will likely surprise you.
By Stephen Metelsky and Jenna Yeomans
NBA superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded the key to the City of Hamilton on Thursday, becoming only the second person in the city’s history to receive the honour.
The 26-year-old point guard capped off a historic year with the Oklahoma City Thunder by returning home for a rally at Hamilton Stadium, where thousands of fans gathered to celebrate the hometown hero.
Gilgeous-Alexander joins former WWE wrestler “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, who was given the key in 1998, as the only recipients of the rare civic honour.
His 2024-25 NBA season was record-setting. He won the regular season scoring title, was named league MVP and earned NBA Finals MVP honours, all while leading the Thunder to an NBA championship. He became the first Canadian and only the fourth player in league history to win all three awards in the same season, alongside Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal.
Wearing a Hamilton Tiger-Cats jersey with his NBA No. 2, Gilgeous-Alexander entered the stadium hoisting the NBA championship trophy, shaking hands and hugging fans before taking the stage.
“Wow, Hamilton, what a day!,” said Mayor Andrea Horwath. “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, NBA champion. The first Canadian ever to lead the NBA in scoring and only one of four players in history to win all of those titles in the same season. Awesome,” she said.
“The second I heard the news, I said we are throwing the biggest celebration for Shai, and this city was ready to rally. Shai, you have not just thrilled fans in Hamilton and across the country but around the world. On behalf of all Hamiltonians, we could not be more proud.”
Horwath then presented him with the key to the city.
“And now, Hamilton the highest honour our city can give. It’s been more than 25 years since a Hamilton mayor has awarded this. It is absolutely my profound honour to present Shai, Hamilton’s superstar, with the key to the city of Hamilton. Shai. This is your day, this is your city.”
Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the crowd, reflecting on his roots and the pride he carries for his hometown.
“First and foremost, I want to thank all you guys for coming out. Growing up, as I travelled across the world, cities and countries, people always asked me where I was from. Teammates would always say Toronto because it was a recognizable city,” he said, noting that while people knew Toronto, few recognized Hamilton.
“I took pride in letting everyone know I was from Hamilton. I like telling them what the steel city meant to me. Hamilton is different from every other city in Ontario. Hamiltonians carry a different kind of grit, energy and determination from the rest of the province. I carry that with me every day and everywhere I go.”
As cheers erupted from the crowd, Gilgeous-Alexander thanked the city for the recognition.
In many video montages, one young fan, who idolizes Shai as a role model and inspiration, commented: “Thank you for showing that dreams can come true and that hard work pays off.”
Shai was clearly moved by the video segments and the love and support from his hometown crowd. That love included honouring him at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats game versus the B.C. Lions on Thursday night and naming a section of Mohawk Road Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Way.
“I was overjoyed when I found out I was getting a key to the city and a street named after me. Mohawk (Road) was everything to me. Truly a blessing. I’ve always been so proud to be from this city. Thank you, I will never forget this. I love you guys.”
