Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are in San Antonio to face the Spurs tonight. Less than two minutes into the game, the reigning MVP faced backlash from the hostile crowd at the Frost Bank Center.
The Spurs fans in the audience began chanting “flopper” as Gilgeous-Alexander drew a foul that sent him to the free-throw line.
SPURS FANS CHANT FLOPPER AT SGA 👀 pic.twitter.com/AWsuYiPH3a
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 24, 2025
Gilgeous-Alexander has faced criticism for treating foul-drawing as an art in the NBA throughout his career. From being compared to prime James Harden to even his father coming out to defend him and say he is drawing fewer fouls than Michael Jordan, there’s a lot of context behind why numerous fans would deem Gilgeous-Alexander a “flopper.”
The Thunder guard is currently averaging 9.4 free-throw attempts per game while shooting 88.5% from the line this season. He is currently third in the league behind Luka Doncic (12.1) and Deni Avdija (9.9) in terms of average free-throw attempts per game.
Coming off a win against the Thunder in their last matchup, there’s no surprise that the San Antonio crowd was riled up while facing the defending champions. But it is noteworthy that during their last matchup, Gilgeous-Alexander only had four free throws, while Spurs’ star player Victor Wembanyama had 12.
Whenever these two teams meet, we get some high-intensity action on the floor. From the brewing rivalry between Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama to playing for a spot in the NBA Cup championship game, there’s a reason why these two teams are considered title contenders.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has arguably entered the MVP discussions after 2022-23. As the Thunder finished 40-42 for the season, he did not win the award. Subsequently, Victor Wembanyama was drafted by the Spurs. Ever since then, both teams have come under the microscope of fans.
On one hand, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was scrutinized for using his foul-drawing skills to his advantage; the Thunder built a championship-caliber team around him. On the other hand, the Spurs quietly built a potential championship contender around Wembanyama.
The Spurs are 3-5 against the Thunder since Wembanyama was drafted. Moreover, Gilgeous-Alexander leads their head-to-head battle 3-2, but he only has a 2-2 record in San Antonio since 2023-24.
The Canadian guard has averaged 28.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds against the Spurs while shooting 52.9% from the field since Wembanyama was drafted.
Meanwhile, the French forward has averaged 17.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists against the Thunder in his career while shooting 43.9% from the field.
But even Victor Wembanyama hails Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the best player in the NBA right now. So maybe it’s time for the fans to also show some respect?
Therefore, my conclusion is that this behaviour from the San Antonio crowd is a result of combining the confidence of having a championship-contending team with beating the defending champions in their last matchup. That added to the prevailing public sentiment of hating on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s style of play is bound to result in a hostile atmosphere for the Thunder in San Antonio.
