Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s father fires back at ‘free throw merchant’ trolls

The “free throw merchant” label has followed Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the past few seasons, and his father has had enough. Vaughn Alexander recently joined N3on on Kick and made it clear he doesn’t just tolerate his son’s playing style, he prefers it.

“I don’t believe in shooting 50 3s a game,” Vaughn said when asked about the constant social media chatter. “I know the game has gotten to that point, scoring is up, yeah probably, but it’s the way you do it. Doing it the hard way works the same way. You go into the lane, bam, &-1, hit your free throw. I think that’s a beautiful part of the game. It’s the hard way.”

SGA’s father Vaughn on the FT merchant discourse: “I don't believe in shooting 50 3s a game. Doing it the hard way works the same. You go into the lane, bam, &-1, hit your free throw. That’s a beautiful part of the game.” pic.twitter.com/B5ZyHd0Lvb

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) August 3, 2026

He’s not wrong about the results. The Thunder superstar has built a legitimate MVP-winning campaign around that exact strategy. Fresh off taking home the NBA MVP award, SGA poured in 31.1 points per game last season. More importantly, he got to the line with incredible consistency, converting 540 free throws across 68 games. He averaged a ridiculous 9.0 free throw attempts per game and hit 87.9% of them.

While opposing fans might groan every time a whistle blows, there’s no denying the effectiveness of Gilgeous-Alexander’s game. Driving to the basket, absorbing contact, and earning trips to the charity stripe is an exhausting way to play basketball, but it has turned the Thunder into a Western Conference powerhouse.

In an era dominated by perimeter shooting and deep threes, SGA is dominating the paint and frustrating defenders in the process. He knows how to draw fouls, and more importantly, he knows how to convert those free opportunities into consistent points for his team. His father’s defense only highlights what Thunder fans already know: if getting to the line is an art form, SGA is the league’s undisputed master.

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