Opposing fans have spent this entire postseason chanting that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a free throw merchant. The reigning MVP heard all of it. His response should end the argument.
‘I don’t care. I never cared,’ Gilgeous-Alexander said. ‘I kind of see it as a compliment.’ When Spurs fans hit him with flopper chants in Game 3, he was just as unbothered. ‘It does nothing. Doesn’t fuel me, doesn’t discourage me. It’s part of the game.’
Here is the thing the chanting crowds do not want to admit. He is right.
Getting to the Line Is a Skill
SGA laid out the logic himself, and it is hard to argue with. ‘All the best scorers get to the free-throw line, and I’m after being the best,’ he said. ‘So whatever it takes to be the best is whatever I’m trying to go out there and do. Free throws are a part of the game, and if I get fouled, I get fouled.’
Every great scorer in NBA history lived at the line. James Harden built an MVP season out of it. Michael Jordan got there whenever he wanted. Drawing fouls is not a loophole. It is a craft that takes footwork, body control, and the patience to bait defenders into mistakes.
Gilgeous-Alexander has mastered that craft better than anyone in the league right now. Punishing him for it is like booing a quarterback for throwing too many touchdowns.
The Chants Will Not Stop, and Neither Will He
The reality is that great players draw this kind of heat. Fans chant at SGA because he is good enough to beat their team, and the foul-drawing is the easiest thing to mock. The Thunder star understands the assignment. He keeps cashing in at the line and keeps stacking wins.
Of course, the chants got louder after Oklahoma City got blown out in Game 6 by the Spurs, where SGA managed just 15 points on 6-of-18 shooting. That was a rough night for the MVP, and Game 7 on Saturday will tell us whether he bounces back or whether San Antonio finally has his number.
One bad shooting night does not change the larger truth. Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most efficient scorers basketball has ever produced, and a big part of that is his ability to manufacture points at the stripe.
Call it merchanting. Call it flopping. Call it whatever helps you sleep after he drops 30 on your team. He is going to keep doing it, and he is going to keep seeing it as a compliment.
The best response to a hater is winning. SGA already knows that.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
