Shai Gilgeous Alexander's career-best 2024-25 season ended with his first MVP award and a trip to the NBA Finals. Of course, the Thunder point guard's rise to stardom means more criticism, which is part of the normal cycle of superstardom.
For Gilgeous-Alexander, that means fans and analysts getting frustrated by how often he gets to the free throw line, and they've even given him a nickname to represent that. Many people now call the point guard a "free throw merchant," the latest NBA player to get hit with that criticism.
Here's a breakdown of why Gilgeous-Alexander received that nickname.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 'Free Throw Merchant' nickname, explained
Gilgeous-Alexander's success hasn't come without criticisms, mainly his penchant for drawing fouls. The Thunder point guard has the ability to sell — and sometimes create — contact in a way that leads to officials calling shooting fouls on the defense, which has led to fans labeling him as a "free throw merchant."
In the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 8.8 free throw attempts per game, which was second only to Giannis Antetokounmpo. No other player besides those two averaged more than 8.0 attempts per game. However, while Antetokounmpo made just 6.5 of those attempts per game, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 7.9 made free throws per game.
Standing at 6-6 with a slender frame, Gilgeous-Alexander has mastered the ability to control his body in a way that forces defenders to illegally contact him. However, that isn't necessarily the most appealing way to watch basketball, so fans came up with the nickname.
The nickname reached the mainstream when Timberwolves fans chanted the moniker at Gilgeous-Alexander during Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
Target Center free throw merchant chant #2 pic.twitter.com/F7Qc1H1p3M
— Timberwolves Clips (@WolvesClips) May 25, 2025
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Even Doris Burke referenced it during that series.
Doris Burke called SGA a free throw merchant AGAIN 😭 pic.twitter.com/Fa7ebCId6y
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 27, 2025
Even WNBA players got in on the fun, as Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu jabbed at Gilgeous-Alexander earlier this year.
"Have you ever seen a player draw 16 fouls?"
— Underdog (@Underdog) May 30, 2025
"SGA" - Sabrina Ionescu pic.twitter.com/TsWveMvDQl
However, some players respect Gilgeous-Alexander's ability. Paul George, who was once traded for the point guard, explained how SGA is able to get so many calls.
"It's more to it with Shai than foul baiting," George said. "He understands how to play physical and get guys out of position."
SGA has been criticized as a 'foul merchant' but it's a skill that goes beyond that.
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 29, 2025
PG: "It's more to it with Shai than foul baiting ... He understands how to play physical and get guys out of position."@Pick6 pic.twitter.com/cW5Mbistuy
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Despite all the hype around the nickname, Gilgeous-Alexander has maintained his stance that it doesn't bother him. Additionally, he respects that fans have been trying to get into his head over it.
"The fans, they're going to do whatever they can to help their team win and knock me off my game," "In terms of the label, I don't care, I never cared...I kind of see it as a compliment.
“I don’t care. I never cared. … I kinda see it as a compliment.”
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2025
SGA on free throw merchant chants 😅🗣️ pic.twitter.com/F2dwtTxEuv
Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the first player to hunt for fouls in NBA history, but he is currently the best of the bunch, so he gets the criticism.
MORE: How Paul George blockbuster trades led to the 2025 NBA Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander free throw stats
| Year | Team | FTM | FTA | FT% |
| 2018-19 | Clippers | 1.9 | 2.4 | 80% |
| 2019-20 | Thunder | 4.1 | 5.1 | 80.7% |
| 2020-21 | Thunder | 5.3 | 6.5 | 80.8% |
| 2021-22 | Thunder | 5.9 | 7.2 | 81% |
| 2022-23 | Thunder | 9.8 | 10.9 | 90.5% |
| 2023-24 | Thunder | 7.6 | 8.7 | 87.4% |
| 2024-25 | Thunder | 7.9 | 8.8 | 89.8% |
Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to draw fouls improved in his first few years in the league, as he reached double-digit free throw attempts per game in 2022-23. In the past two seasons, he has led the league in free throws made per game with 7.6 and 7.9, respectively.