As the 2025-26 NBA season draws to a close, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has made one thing perfectly clear: he wants to keep winning, whatever the cost.
On the cusp of closing what may be his second-straight MVP season, Shai sat down for a chat with Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, where he discussed various topics relating to the game, his team, and his rise to stardom. He even addressed the criticisms of his foul-baiting methods, admitting that he understands the frustration.
“I understand why [fans] are frustrated about it, because they’re an X, Y, and Z fan,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “They’re playing against us, and in the past couple of years, we’ve happened to beat their team. And we beat their team because we scored more points. We scored points at the free throw line, midrange, three-point shot, free throw, everything. So I completely understand why they’re frustrated.”
It’s natural for fans to despise what is often used against their teams, but Shai says that it’s more than resentment that drives the critics. He implied that the feelings are actually rooted in jealousy, and compared his situation to the reactions for Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, who are guilty of pulling similar tricks.
“You’ll never hear an OKC fan complain about my free throws,” Shai added. “You’ll never hear a Denver fan complain about Jokic’s free throws. You’ll never hear a Lakers fan complain about Luka’s free throws. It’s just part of the business. But I love it, it creates buzz around the game. It creates rivalries. It creates energy. It’s what makes the NBA so fun. Honestly, the fact that they care so much is great, because they care, they watch it on TV, the TV deals grow, and I get more money. It’s how it goes. That’s honestly how I see it. So I love it. It’s amazing. It makes the games more fun.”
Shai gets the most heat out of anyone for manipulating the whistle, to the point where multiple coaches have complained about it. Still, it’s a huge part of his kit, and can often dictate the pace of the game. To Shai’s credit, he’s knocking down 89.2% of his free throws, good for top-10 in the NBA. He’s also first with 8.1 made free throws per game.
But with an average of 9.1 attempts, he’s third in the league for free throws earned. The top spot belongs to Luka Doncic, and it’s why Shai made sure to mention his name in the conversation. While Luka does often get heat for baiting the referees, the issue with him is more about how he argues every call. There’s also Denji Advija, who is second in the NBA with 9.1 attempts per game. Being in Portland, it’s no surprise there’s not much chatter on his game.
In the end, it’s clear to see what separates Shai from the rest. Not only is he the defending champion and league MVP, but he has mastered his art in a way nobody else has. While you may not like his methods, you can’t argue with the results as SGA caps off another elite season with averages of 31.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game on 55.1% shooting and 38.9% shooting from three.
