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[Saba Sports News] Kyrie Irving has had enough of the “free throw merchant” label being thrown at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Oklahoma City Thunder star has faced criticism all season for his knack for drawing fouls — a skill that has divided fans. Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA in made free throws per game (7.9) and ranked second in attempts (8.8), leading some to accuse him of exaggerating contact or manipulating defenders unnaturally.
But Irving isn’t buying that narrative.
“I know a lot of you guys are being funny, talking about he’s a free throw merchant, he’s this and he’s that. Nah, man. Shai just plays the game the right way,” Irving said. “He plays at a high level. You’ve got to be a master manipulator out there, man. It’s part of the game. All the greats have done it.
“For me, I look at him as one of the guys who’s going to be the prototype for the next generation.”
Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a historic regular season, winning the 2024–25 NBA scoring title with 32.7 points per game on elite shooting splits: 51.9% from the field, 37.5% from three, and 89.8% from the line. He also averaged 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks while leading the Thunder to a league-best 68-14 record.
He’s been the clear engine behind Oklahoma City’s run to the NBA Finals, yet online debates have continued to focus on his free throw numbers rather than his overall dominance. Irving, no stranger to public scrutiny himself, is clearly tired of the noise.
This isn’t the first time Kyrie has gone to bat for a fellow star this postseason. Earlier in the playoffs, he also spoke out against criticism aimed at an Eastern Conference All-Star — a reminder that he continues to stand up for those he believes are being unfairly judged.