The “free throw merchant” tag has trailed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for a while now, but his father isn’t buying the criticism. Vaughn Alexander recently went on N3on on Kick and said he actually likes the way his son goes about scoring.
“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.
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
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.”
That style has helped power a monster season from the Thunder star. Gilgeous-Alexander, fresh off winning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points per game last season. He also spent plenty of time at the stripe, knocking down 540 free throws in 68 games while averaging 9.0 free throw attempts per game and hitting 87.9% of them.
For opponents and their fans, it can be a grind watching him force his way into the paint and draw contact. But the formula works, and it has helped turn Oklahoma City into a Western Conference powerhouse.
In a league that keeps leaning harder into threes, Gilgeous-Alexander keeps living in the lane. He puts defenders in tough spots, earns whistles, and turns those trips to the line into steady points. His father’s comments only echo what Thunder supporters already see: when it comes to drawing fouls and cashing in, SGA has made it his lane.
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