NBA fans have piled on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for his tendency to draw cheap fouls over the past few years, and they haven’t grown tired of it just yet. When Gilgeous-Alexander and the OKC Thunder hosted the LA Lakers for Game 1 of their second-round series, fans spotted another SGA moment that they deemed worthy of criticism.
Late in the second quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander felt that he had earned some free throws and let the referees know about it, even standing at the charity stripe to motion that it was time for him to shoot.
The viral clip of this exchange led some fans to express their disgust on social media.
“S*** is kinda sickening to watch”
“The biggest merchant of free throws lol”
“he not even hiding it anymore”
“shameless b****”
For what it’s worth, other netizens decided to stand up for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in this situation.
“Ooo we posting shai ft stuff. Must be giving someone belt to a** again”
“Y’all are so lame for igniting that bs narrative for likes and comments”
Whether fans like it or not, Gilgeous-Alexander leads all players in the postseason with a whopping 12.3 free throw attempts per game. Thanks to his high conversion rate at the foul line, the Thunder is the no. 1 team in free throw percentage in this year’s playoffs.
With some tricks up his sleeve, the reigning MVP has made a living at the charity stripe during the Thunder’s dominant run. And it doesn’t appear that SGA’s foul-baiting tactics will be changing any time soon.
“Greatness Doesn’t Rest”: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Draws Praise from OKC Teammate Ahead of Game 1
In a media availability prior to Game 1, Thunder guard Alex Caruso gave Shai Gilgeous-Alexander his flowers.
“Greatness doesn’t rest. That’s what I’ve seen from the guys in the league that are Hall-of-Famers…Shai comes in every day like he’s trying to make the team.”
Caruso, who won an NBA title with the very team he’s facing in the second round, will now be looking to win his third ring alongside Gilgeous-Alexander this year.
