Throughout the 2024-25 season, some NBA fans have called Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder a “free throw merchant.”
They believe that his stats have been bumped up because of the number of times he stands at the charity stripe during games.
These people believe that Gilgeous-Alexander finds a way to earn fouls, even when they aren’t fair.
Speaking on his show, Bill Simmons seemed to agree with these claims.
“I feel like Shai is getting this whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting,” Simmons said, via NBACentral.
“I feel like Shai is getting this whistle that nobody else in the playoffs is getting.”
– Bill Simmons
(🎥 @ringer )
pic.twitter.com/s348u8pqrh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 21, 2025
During Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Gilgeous-Alexander shot 11-of-14 from the free throw line.
Not only did he have the most free throw attempts for anybody on his team, but no one in the game cracked more than 10.
Although some people are unhappy with the number of free throw attempts Gilgeous-Alexander receives, others feel that it is totally fine.
They say that he is truly being fouled or simply knows how to read his opponents and draw contact.
Either way, it’s helping the Thunder, and that’s what ultimately matters the most.
Gilgeous-Alexander might be on the verge of winning his first MVP trophy, and he could be only weeks away from becoming a champion.
If that happens, there will be some detractors who claim that it wasn’t rightfully earned because Gilgeous-Alexander was manipulating the system and the refs to bolster his numbers.
But no matter how many fouls and free throws he gets, there is no denying that Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most talented and remarkable stars in the NBA.
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