SAN ANTONIO — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was being asked the questions weeks before they were dipped in turmoil. The face of the Oklahoma City Thunder — the West’s No. 1 seed — and an MVP favorite, Gilgeous-Alexander has been tugged at, quizzed about whether he envisions himself as face of the league when the smoke clears from what feels like a transitional period for the NBA. SGA has yet to reject the notion. He’s enticed by it. But comments from his superstar peers have called for reassurance from an increasingly important voice. During All-Star weekend, Minnesota guard Anthony Edwards was asked if he held any desire to be a future face of the NBA. “Not really,” he replied. “That’s what they got (Victor Wembanyama) for.” Polarizing comments from a polarizing player who’s already been nudged into the prospect of eventually snagging the crown. Talk shows debated, and players of old dug their feet into the ground behind his stance. Longtime NBA player Channing Frye questioned why anyone would want to represent a league shrouded by media coverage he views as negative, carrying a penchant for comparison to previous eras. He’s cold, but he ain’t Mike. Kobe would’ve never folded like that. More: Jalen Williams’ career-high 41 points lift OKC Thunder past Spurs in final game of tripFrye seethes at the barbershop dialogue. Asked about Edwards’ words, Lakers star LeBron James echoed the sentiment: “Why do you wanna be face of the league when all the people that cover our game on a day-to-day basis s*** on everybody?” All of which leaves inquiring minds turning their attention back to Gilgeous-Alexander. Truthfully, SGA licks his chops when asked his opinion on the matter, a chance for him to wax poetic about something he’s preparing himself for. It can feel like a job interview for a guy who’d like the position but will live without it. Above all else, he understands what it entails. And that the title’s reach extends beyond desire. “It comes with responsibility,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after Friday’s win in Atlanta. “Now, whether you want the responsibility, it’s up for you to decide. And ultimately, you don’t have any control over it. You can go out there and be a monster every night. Now, if the fans and the media and everyone gravitates to you, then you’re gonna walk into that, whether you want it or not, like LeBron James. I’m sure LeBron James wasn’t 12 like, ‘Yeah, I can’t wait to face the league.’ It just happened because of who he was, the way he carries himself in the player he is. So I think you don’t have no choice, unless you literally, like Anthony, ever say, ‘I don’t want it.’ “I think we’re in a weird transition right now with older guys and young guys, and so there’s a lot of conversation around it. But it’ll happen. It’ll trick out, and we’ll see who it is. You can’t control it. So for me, I don’t even put two cents into it. I just go out there and try to be the best basketball player, the best teammate, best dad, best best husband I could be every day and call it.”More: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be the next MVP, but can he be the face of the NBA his way?Gilgeous-Alexander hasn’t been rash with the mic. His flow is closer to Common than Kodak Black. He grips these topics like a politician at times, like he’s taken time to consider them. And his mind is made: He would embrace being the face of a league that will soon need a new set. He’s done the lifting in preparation for the baggage, just in case the people choose him. He hears his peers. He’s empathetic of their gripes. He just hardly shares them, willing to accept new titles and the subsequent vitriol, ironically because of the way he watched his idols carry themselves. “Personally, I don’t care to be scrutinized,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It doesn’t bother me at all. You can think of my game however you want to think about it. You can think of my teammates however you want to think about them. “I don’t care to be praised. I do this thing to win basketball games and ultimately to try to hoist the trophy at the end of the year. If I don’t do that, it’s a failure, then I work at it again and try again next year.”It doesn’t just seem as if Gilgeous-Alexander has braced himself for a responsibility that he could stumble into someday soon. It feels like, for some time, he’s triple-checked the terms and conditions of the mantle. His words carry that notion. His image has been crafted for the long game. All the makings of a healthy campaign. More: How OKC Thunder is handling two-big lineup with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah HartensteinJoel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @jxlorenzi. Support Joel’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.Thunder vs. RocketsTIPOFF: 7 p.m. Monday in Paycom Center in Oklahoma City (FanDuel Sports Network)