Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks played for Team Canada tonight as they faced Puerto Rico’s national basketball team in the qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
Before the game, the reigning NBA MVP arrived at the arena and came out to the court to warm up, and fans and the media observed his new hairstyle, which made him look drastically different from how he did at the end of the 2025-26 season.
SGA really cut the braids 👀 pic.twitter.com/KFkyrjaATk
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 3, 2026
But not just the Thunder guard Gilgeous-Alexander, even Dillon Brooks, who plays in the NBA for the Suns, seems to have gotten a new hairdo where neither of the two players can braid their hair anymore. Gilgeous-Alexander and Brooks’ hairstyles looked eerily similar.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Dillon Brooks both with the new look. 👀
(h/t @OKCskittles) pic.twitter.com/QJ3p90R4gT
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 4, 2026
NBA fans saw this on social media and flooded the comments section with their hilarious reactions to the new hairstyles from both Canadian players.
“This is what happens when you tell Dillon Brooks not to copy SGA.”
“Bro thinks he is Miami Heat LeBron.”
“They look like two cousins with the same barber.”
“He needs his dreads back; he has no aura now.”
“Now just cut the flopping.”
“Somehow, just know that Dillon Brooks had something to do with SGA cutting his hair.”
Team Canada ended up winning the game 110-84, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ended up leading all scorers with 26 points, four assists, and three rebounds, while shooting 9-14 from the field (64.29%) and 1-4 from beyond the arc (25.0 3P%).
Meanwhile, Brooks finished with 15 points, two assists, and one rebound. He shot 7-12 from the floor (58.33 FG%) and 1-4 from behind the three-point line (25.0 FG%).
Dillon Brooks also gave significant support on offense, but it was Nembhard (23 points) and Gilgeous-Alexander (26 points) who stole the show tonight as Team Canada won their fifth straight game in the qualifiers.
Canada now sits comfortably atop Group B in the qualifiers, alongside Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas. And while we see a different look on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tonight, it was the same consistency he preaches that helped lead Team Canada from the front tonight.
These qualifiers are for the 2027 FIBA World Cup scheduled to begin in August 2027 in Doha, Qatar. It looks like Gilgeous-Alexander’s team will comfortably qualify for the main tournament.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Reacts To Kawhi Leonard Joining Toronto Raptors
Following tonight’s win, Gilgeous-Alexander sat down with the media and expressed his opinion on Kawhi Leonard heading back to Toronto to join the Raptors after a major trade with the Clippers saw Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick heading to Los Angeles with two first-round picks.
“Adding a guy like that to your roster, no matter where you’re from or what team you are, amplifies everything. Your fanbase, your ability to play both ends of the floor, I mean, he’s a really good player. So it should be a good team next season,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
Kawhi Leonard, despite a shaky start to the Clippers’ season, still finished seventh in the voting for the 2025-26 regular season MVP award. He ended the season averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists while going 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from behind the three-point line.
So Gilgeous-Alexander is excited to see that the only NBA franchise from Canada has gotten an MVP-caliber player. This means that basketball will flourish even more in Canada than it already has.
