"I would hate me, too" - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed "free-throw merchant" accusations
After a grueling postseason run last year that required surviving two seven-game wars to finally secure the Larry O'Brien trophy, the Oklahoma City Thunder have flipped the script this season.
The defending champions have stormed through the first two rounds with a perfect 8-0 record, sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers . Even more impressive? They've done it with their nominal second star, Jalen Williams , sidelined for the majority of the playoffs with a hamstring injury.
Despite this dominance, the public discourse remains fixated on the idea that the league and the officials are nudging the Thunder toward dynasty status — specifically targeting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander . For his part, the back-to-back MVP isn't losing sleep over the outside noise.
"It's fun to me," Shai said in an interview with "ESPN". "The way I see it, the fans, the people that watched the games and root against us, they want their team to win. You will never hear an Oklahoma City Thunder fan complaining about my free throws. You will never hear a Lakers fan complaining about LeBron or Luka's free throws."
He punctuated the thought with a shrug.
"I get it, guys. I would hate me, too."
Dynasty in the making
The "free-throw merchant" debate reached a fever pitch during the Lakers series. Purple and Gold squad frequently engaged in heated discussions with officials over OKC's whistle, yet the final box scores told a different story: the Lakers actually attempted more total free throws over the course of the series.
The narrative surrounding Mark Daigneault's squad remains criminally overlooked, especially considering they just dismantled LeBron James and the Lakers while missing Williams.
Even more staggering is that they did it with Gilgeous-Alexander posting what are, by his standards, "pedestrian" numbers. Despite averaging 24.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds — coupled with a shaky 3.8 turnovers on 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent from deep and a sub-par 79.4 percent from the line — the Thunder still made it look easy.
While the Lakers dealt with their own issues, including the absence of Luka Doncic , the sheer ease with which OKC is winning points toward a dynasty in the making. This is the third consecutive season the Thunder have finished atop an ultra-competitive Western Conference and their second straight year with at least 64 wins.
It's hard to build that kind of resume purely on trips to the charity stripe. Addressing the "foul-baiting" labels , SGA made it clear he views the criticism as a distraction he simply doesn't value.
"I just think it's all distractions away from the court," Gilgeous-Alexander told "ESPN". "That's how I see it. Whether they're right or wrong, the refs have made a call and unless you challenge it, they're not going to change it. It's just another thing I can't control, so I really don't put any thought into it."
"I really don't care at all," he said. "The players that I grew up loving and watching when I fell in love with the game, they used their skill and their tactics to get to the free throw line. It's just how the game has been picked up and I'm not the only one that's ever done it. They can pick on me all they want, but I love it. It's amazing."
SGA doesn't need the whistle to dominate
The numbers don't just support his "skill over whistle" stance — they prove it. In league history, a guard has averaged 30 or more points per game in a season only 48 times, yet his 9.0 free throw attempts this season rank a modest 32nd on that elite list.
His marks of 8.8 free throw attempts in 2024-25 and 8.7 free throw attempts in 2023-24 sit even further down at 33rd and 34th, respectively.
The 2025 Finals MVP is clearly much more than a beneficiary of the whistle. While fans and media spend hours dissecting how he reaches his total, this year's Clutch Player of the Year is focused solely on winning. And based on this postseason run, business is booming.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
