NBA fans stunned by wild Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trivia question

OKC Thunder centerpiece Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had himself a career campaign in 2023-24.

Further establishing himself as a legitimate two-way superstar, the point guard went on to post averages that were highly reminiscent of a prime Michael Jordan, as he dropped 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals on 53.5 percent shooting from the field per night en route to his second All-Star and All-NBA nods and a runner-up finish in the NBA MVP race.

SGA's play has captivated audiences both near and far, with some players in the association going as far as to argue that he has one of the deepest bags in the entire league.

The guard's collection of tricks is highlighted by sensational shot creation, steal generating, and ball handling, though his arsenal is by no means limited to just a few specific attributes. Such a sentiment was only strengthened by a recent trivia question that left fans absolutely stumped.

Trivia involving Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has fans shocked

During a recent trivia session hosted by Whistle, participating contestants were asked which NBA player from last season finished with the most free throws made.

After incorrectly throwing out guesses like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic -- who, fairly, finished third and fourth, respectively --, to their surprise, the moderator revealed that the right answer was, in fact, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Over the last couple of years, the Thunder star has frequently been referred to as the league's newest "free-throw merchant," a term that historically has had a negative connotation as it implies that the specific player's offensive game relies heavily on drawing fouls and heading to the charity stripe as a way to be a more effective scorer.

Suggesting that the way a game's officiating team operates has any real influence on Gilgeous-Alexander's scoring proficiency would be an absolute farce -- it's something we've already gone about and debunked ourselves --, though, in all fairness, these enviable foul calls have helped pad his point-per-game averages a bit through the years.

Over the last two seasons, the Thunder star has gone about and led the league in free throws made with 669 and 567, respectively, making up for just 28 percent of his total of 4,389 points scored during this stretch.

Since the turn of the century, the free throw department has been dominated by guards, as a backcourt dweller has led the league in makes from the line on 14 separate occasions. What should further separate the 26-year-old from this free-throw merchant label is the fact that nine of these aforementioned ballers registered in totals larger than SGA's 2023-24 rate.

Heck, he's not even the leader among Thunder players over this 24-year stretch of free throw makes, as Kevin Durant surpassed his rank on numerous occasions during his tenure, even racking up as many as 756 back in 2009-10.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to draw fouls at the pace that he does is merely just a handy skill set that he has within in his utility belt, and not a driving factor in his offensive efficiency like some have suggested.