Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has had enough of the criticism surrounding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Speaking at his end-of-season press conference, Presti delivered one of the strongest public defenses yet of the two-time MVP, arguing that much of the narrative around Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul drawing has become exaggerated and driven by forces outside the game itself.
“Of all the things that I’ve talked to Shai about, this is actually one I’ve never talked to him about. He’s probably going to kill me for talking about this, truthfully.”
“Well, first of all, let me start with the opposing coaches for one second. The postgame press conference has turned into a bully pulpit to create competitive advantage. We know what that is. It used to be you’d get up there and talk about your own team. Now everyone gets up there, talks about the officials, and discredits the other team. Again, they’re great competitors, so we know why that’s happening. And I don’t fault them because I think they believe it works.”
“So the question is, why do they keep doing it? Because there are financial incentives not to do it, but everyone is competing. Let’s also recognize that it’s become a bully pulpit for competitive advantage. That’s what it’s turned into, and that’s part of competing. We all get that. Relative to Shai and the narrative around him, he’s playing against six people. He’s got five defenders, and the sixth defender is social media. That’s a reality. And he’s not going to be the last player that the machine decides to target.”
Presti’s defense was backed by a statistic that immediately caught the attention of NBA fans. Gilgeous-Alexander drew 415 fouls during the season. Of those 415 calls, only 11 were challenged by opposing teams. Even more notably, only four of those challenges resulted in the call being overturned.
Those numbers suggest that officials got the overwhelming majority of foul calls correct, despite the constant complaints surrounding his style of play.
The debate around Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the biggest storylines in the NBA over the last two seasons. Critics often accuse him of foul baiting and exaggerating contact, while supporters argue he simply excels at attacking defenders and forcing mistakes.
Veteran broadcaster Mike Breen recently pushed back on many of the criticisms.
“Does he sell calls sometimes? Absolutely, but so do 287 other players in the NBA. Quite frankly, it’s a strategy to win.”
Breen also pointed out that few people complained about Gilgeous-Alexander’s style before Oklahoma City became a championship contender. Others have been far less forgiving.
Doc Rivers recently stated that many modern NBA players actively work on flopping techniques, although he emphasized that it is not something coaches necessarily teach. Patrick Bet-David blamed LeBron James for helping normalize some of the foul-drawing tactics seen around the league today. Michael Wilbon even warned that young players may start copying Gilgeous-Alexander’s habits if he continues winning championships.
Meanwhile, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has defended the Thunder guard, calling many of the accusations overblown. What often gets lost in the discussion is just how dominant Gilgeous-Alexander has become as a basketball player.
During the regular season, he averaged 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 55.3% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range. He also led the NBA with 7.9 made free throws per game while guiding Oklahoma City to the league’s best record.
Whether fans love his style or hate it, the results are impossible to ignore. Presti’s message was simple. Opponents are trying every possible avenue to slow Gilgeous-Alexander down, whether that means defensive schemes on the court or public criticism off it. Yet the numbers suggest the Thunder superstar is not fooling officials nearly as often as critics claim.
If anything, Presti believes the backlash is simply another sign of Gilgeous-Alexander’s rise to the top of the NBA. When players become dominant enough to change the championship picture, scrutiny follows. Right now, few players in basketball are under a brighter spotlight than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
