Kyrie Irving is tired of all the “free throw merchant” talk regarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been lambasted by fans all season long for his polarizing ability to draw fouls. SGA led the NBA in free throw makes per game (7.9) and was second among qualified players in attempts (8.8).
Some have argued that Gilgeous-Alexander embellishes and initiates contact in a way that feels unnatural to the game of basketball. But Irving doesn’t see SGA that way.
In a recent episode of his “Spook Signal” podcast, Irving [spoke against](https://x.com/ThunderFocus/status/1934918683970949651) the “free throw merchant” narrative used against Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I know a lot of you guys being funny, talking about he’s a free throw merchant, he’s this and he’s that. Nah, man. Shai just plays the game the right way,” said Irving. “He plays at a high level. You’ve got to be a master manipulator out there, man. It’s part of the game. All the greats have done it.
“For me, I look at him as one of the guys that’s going to be the prototype for the next generation.
Gilgeous-Alexander had an all-time great regular season by the numbers. The 2024-25 NBA scoring champ averaged 32.7 points on elite 51.9%/37.5%/89.8% shooting splits to go along with 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks per contest. That’s on top of leading the Thunder to an NBA-best 68-14 record.
SGA has also been the driving force behind OKC’s run to the NBA Finals. But some fans online have focused on the free throw issue rather than appreciating what SGA has accomplished so far in his relatively young career. Irving has grown tired of it.
It’s not the first time Kyrie has defended an NBA star during this postseason. Irving [sent a stern message to fans](https://larrybrownsports.com/basketball/kyrie-irving-fires-stern-message-fans-clowning-karl-anthony-towns/702190) for ridiculing an Eastern Conference All-Star.