If you ask around the NBA, most fans would tell you that Thunder star (and reigning NBA MVP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the worst offender in the league when it comes to excessive foul-baiting. Not only is he uniquely gifted at it, but it’s his go-to tactic on the court, resulting in a league-leading 540 free throws made during the 2025-26 season.
But in a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, young Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton took a stand in defense of the superstar point guard. He cited the criticism as “overblown” and called foul-baiting a natural and necessary part of the game. As Haliburton explained, Shai isn’t just flopping around on the court without purpose or reason. Most of the time, it’s just Shai catching his defenders making a mistake.
“It’s so overblown, stop it. That’s a lot. Selling is a part of the game. It’s a part of basketball; he isn’t doing it all the time, said Haliburton. “When I’m in the game, and we’re playing against him, I’m not thinking ‘Oh my gosh, this guy’s just falling around everywhere.’ A lot of times you see these plays where people are mad and they’re like ‘Oh he’s flopping’ but when you see when the guy fouls him he’s like ’Damn.’ He knows he fouled him; he’s not even arguing that he fouled him. The best players, you don’t get to touch, you don’t get to be super physical.”
While “flopping” and similar acts are hardly a new NBA phenomenon, they’ve been practiced with increasing frequency over the years, to the point that fans have been calling for rule changes. Shai is hardly the only player who exploits the officiating rules, but his tactics have become infamous around the league after several coaches and players expressed frustration at guarding him. The truth is, with averages of 31.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 55.3% shooting and 38.6% shooting from three, the foul baiting is just one part of Shai’s offensive game, albeit one of the most effective.
Of course, Haliburton knows this firsthand from guarding SGA in the 2025 NBA Finals, the same series that he went down with an Achilles tear in Game 7. He hasn’t played since that night, which ended with the Thunder as NBA champions for the first time in franchise history. After losing that series, it would have been easy for Haliburton to become Shai’s biggest hater. Instead, he’s one of the few defending his controversial playstyle.
When/if rule changes ever do come, it won’t be before the end of this current playoff run. That means for now, Shai has the green light to do what he does best: secure trips to the line. He was unstoppable in round one against the Rockets, but was somehow held to just 18 points in the Game 1 win over the Lakers, going just 2-3 from the charity stripe. We can expect a better showing from him tonight, with increased focus, urgency, and attention to detail, so that he can properly carry the offense like he has all season long.
For Haliburton, Shai’s methods of dominating are just as valid as any other. Free throws are a natural part of the game, and every superstar has been able to sell contact on shot attempts. You can’t hate Shai for doing it better than the rest, especially since it’s been so effective for both him and the Thunder since his arrival in 2019.
