As an emotional Tyrese Haliburton, moments after suffering what was later revealed to be an Achilles injury, pounded on the Paycom Center floor in pain, one of the first players to comfort him was not one of his teammates, but opponent and Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

It was a some-things-are-bigger-than-sports type of moment.

After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander joined Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, where he was asked about his reaction when he saw a competitor like Haliburton go down with an injury.

The Thunder star offered an answer that was both heartfelt and empathetic.

"Yeah it was sad," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I couldn’t imagine playing in the biggest game of my life. Playing for everything I’ve ever dreamed of. The highest stage. Game 7 of the NBA Finals and something unfortunate like that happens. It’s unfair. I feel bad for him. I pray for him. Wish him the best of luck. He’s a hell of a player.

"His future is super bright. He can do whatever he wants in this league. And they’ll be a really good team for a really long time."

It was cool to see Gilgeous-Alexander put aside the heat of competition for a moment to comfort an opponent in agony. It was even cooler to see the Thunder star, after his team's momentous victory, take a few moments and grieve for what Haliburton experienced on Sunday night.

More NBA Finals on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as SGA Delivers Heartfelt Message to Tyrese Haliburton After 'Unfair' NBA Finals Injury.

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