OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is widely regarded as the league's newest "free throw merchant." While he himself has never approved of or agreed with such a narrative, it seems that he fully understands why people view him in such a light.
In a recent piece penned by ESPN's Tim Keown, the reigning MVP continued to peddle the very real fact that his supposed foul-baiting antics are neither unique nor anomalous when compared to his peers' activity across the league.
However, he would go on to note that such rhetoric originates from opposing team fanbases, saying, "You will never hear a Lakers fan complaining about LeBron or Luka's free throws." On the flip side, he revealed that one would "never hear an Oklahoma City Thunder fan complaining about my free throws" as well.
In many ways, Shai seems to finally be embracing this polarizing critique of his game, saying that if he were a fan of a rival club, "I would hate me, too."
Several NBA players actively coming to aid of Thunder star
Though this narrative has certainly become a popular talking point among keyboard warriors and media pundits alike when discussing Gilgeous-Alexander, it seems that many of his peers around the league believe it to be rather far-fetched.
Heading into Oklahoma City's semifinal series against Los Angeles, Lakers guard Austin Reaves came to the aid of the Thunder superstar by saying that everybody blows his free-throw activity "out of proportion," and that, at the end of the day, if it means shooting the fourth-most foul shots per game like he did during the regular season, Shai's "gonna do whatever it takes to win."
Soon after these remarks were made, Raptors All-Star and fifth-place finisher in the running for 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, Scottie Barnes, hopped on the Gilgeous-Alexander defense train during a livestream by saying, "Shai don't really foul bait, yo," breaking it down as him simply being "aggressive going to the basket so they call fouls for him."
At the end of the day, the reason why the Thunder star draws whistles and fouls so easily is not because of him cheating the system but, rather, because opposing players fear his ability to put the ball in the basket, which, as Reaves put it, is why defenders fall for his head fakes and "why they're running up and trying to guard him the way that they are."
In truth, this major criticism of his game actually stems from a deep respect for it.
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