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Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throw merchant label draws Draymond Green take
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- Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throw merchant label draws Draymond Green take
The post Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throw merchant label draws Draymond Green take appeared first on ClutchPoints .
After a prolific season that ended with him being crowned as a 2025 NBA Finals MVP, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also earned the "free-throw merchant" moniker, which earned an interesting response from Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green . It's the price one pays for ascending to become the new face of the NBA. Even Hall of Fame forward Charles Barkley had an opinion on Gilgeous-Alexander .
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Green pointed to Gilgeous-Alexander's knack for getting to the free-throw line as a skillset, and not a flaw as some perceive it to be, he said, per Kai Cenat's Twitch stream.
"He's going to get you a bucket. People complaining that he's drawing fouls, but that's a skill," Green said. "There's an art to it. If you're a dumb defender and you foul, that's your fault."
Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to get to the free-throw line is a widespread debate among NBA circles, including Draymond Green . At the same time, SGA finished second (8.8 FTA) in free throw attempts last year to Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo (10.6) in 2024-25. Still, he was accused of baiting trips to the charity stripe.
Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on 'free throw merchant'
Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed the free-throw merchant label after beating the Timberwolves in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals. After Gilgeous-Alexander received chants from Timberwolves fans at the Target Center, he addressed the moniker with reporters during his postgame media availability.
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"Fans are gonna do whatever they can do to help their team win and knock me off my game, me being the head of the snake of our team," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And that's their job, that's what creates home-court advantage, that's what creates a fanbase, that's what creates energy in the building, and they want the Timberwolves to win. They don't want the Oklahoma City Thunder to win. So I expect nothing else.
"As far as the label, I don't care. I never cared. I've said this before, I've shot more free throws in a season than I did this season. I think because we're at the top of everyone's radar, it's a little bit more noticeable, and now people care about it, but I kind of see it as a compliment," Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.
The defending champion Thunder will raise its first championship banner at the Paycom Center on October 21.
