We're now over two months removed from the last time the OKC Thunder played a single minute of NBA action, yet it appears people are still talking about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's foul-line activity.
Over the past few years, everyone from players to basement-dwelling keyboard warriors has seemingly grown a borderline obsessive affinity for discussing the two-time MVP's charity stripe visitations, with many going as far as to brand him the league's newest free throw merchant.
It's gotten to a point where Shai's own father, Vaughn Alexander, has spoken out regarding this kind of rhetoric and, in the process, seemingly provided the endgame response to such criticism.
In a now-viral clip of him on the hardwood and running drills with streamer "N3on," Alexander was asked how a player draws fouls, presumably a nod to his son's so-called "foul baiting" antics. In response, he provided what should be seen as the kill-shot answer to all accusations against Shai, saying: "We don't try to draw fouls. We beat our man, and because we beat you, you foul us."
Thunder star one of toughest players in the NBA to guard
Gilgeous-Alexander is widely regarded as one of the most difficult players in the league to go up against, with guys like Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, a widely lauded plus defender, going as far as to praise him for having one of the deepest bags and calling him the hardest player he's ever had to guard.
Of course, Murphy is far from alone when it comes to this kind of take, for even past Defensive Player of the Year recipients, like veteran guard Marcus Smart, have gone on record gushing over the 28-year-old's elite three-level scoring abilities.
Take away free throws, and Gilgeous-Alexander is still arguably the best scoring weapon the game currently has to offer, with Kalshi Hoops recently uncovering that he has scored the most points in the NBA over the last three seasons without accounting for foul line buckets.
From the advanced metrics to simple word of mouth, at this point, it seems to be a well-understood fact that the Thunder superstar is one of the most lethal scoring threats not just today but, frankly, of all time.
With this in mind, coupled with SGA's father's recent spin on what it actually takes to draw a foul, one could easily argue that the blame for the Thunder cornerstone's free-throw visits should not be cast on himself but, rather, his opponents, as they clearly are incapable of keeping up with him on the hardwood while honestly abiding by the league's rule book.
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