On Monday night, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder heard chants every time he walked to the free-throw line.
But they weren’t chanting his name or “MVP”; the Minnesota Timberwolves fans were calling him a “free throw merchant.”
This is something he has heard time and time again, especially lately, and he spoke about it with the NBA on ESPN on Monday.
“In terms of the label, I don’t care. Never cared. I’ve shot more free throws in a season than I did this season. I think because we’re on the top of everyone’s radar, it’s a little bit more noticeable, and now people care about it. I kind of see it as a compliment,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
“I don’t care. I never cared.”
–SGA on being labeled a “free throw merchant” pic.twitter.com/GOONH24JQY
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 27, 2025
Critics feel that Gilgeous-Alexander gets more free-throw attempts than anyone else in the league.
Technically, that is true because his season average of 21.8 free throw attempts per game is higher than anyone else’s.
However, many people feel he is earning them unfairly and is being tricky in order to draw fouls from other players.
They believe that his numbers are propped up because of his free throws, which aren’t rightfully earned.
Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t believe he is doing anything wrong.
In fact, he feels that he is only hearing this nickname because of how well his team is performing.
They are finding plenty of success, which is drawing more attention to them.
The better he does and the more victories his team earns, the more people will push back and try to drag him down.
They can call him whatever they want, but in a few weeks, even the most opinionated critics might be forced to refer to Gilgeous-Alexander as a champion.
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