In the 2025-26 season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 614 free throws and made 540 of them (87.9%). That’s a strong 9.0 FTA per game in a single season. This high number is one reason critics have often regarded him as a ‘Free Throw Merchant.’ However, Alexander isn’t letting the label get to him.
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“I think I’m the best player in the NBA,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told TIME in an exclusive interview published on October 8.
“I think the production that I have night in and night out is best-player-in-the-NBA production. I think the efficiency that I do it at is best-player-in-the-NBA efficiency. I think everybody picks up a basketball or a soccer ball or a football or a tennis ball to win the game, the match, whatever it is. And I’ve done my fair share of winning in these past couple years.”
It’s true. Alexander helped the Oklahoma City Thunder win the 2025 NBA Championship for the first time since the franchise moved from Seattle. Not only did he contribute 32.7 PPG during the regular season, but he also maintained a high 30.3 PPG during the finals to become the MVP.
In fact, in Game 4, OKC’s situation looked desperate. The team was down 10 points in the second half and tied 2-2 in the series. This is when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander activated his marvelous hooping ability. He scored 15 points in the last 4:38 minutes of the game.
This ultimately helped the team win Game 4, 111-104, against the Indiana Pacers. However, being an MVP has not completely silenced his critics, given his astounding 88% efficiency from the FT line.
Does Alexander let the criticism get to him? Not really. “Playing this game has done amazing things for my and my family’s life,” he explained. “And if a narrative on social media is the worst that comes from this game for me, well, I’d take that a million times out of a million times.”
Despite his confidence, like any other NBA player, he’s had his tough moments.
In the 2025-26 season, the Oklahoma City Thunder were well on their way to winning their second championship in a row. The team had the league’s best record at 24-1 leading up to the semi-finals and a 16-game winning streak.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked like he was ready to clinch another MVP title for the team. Then came the upset. Victor Wembanyama returned to play with the Spurs after a 12-game absence due to his calf strain.
The Spurs won, dismantling OKC’s iconic run in no time. After smashing the team’s dreams, Victor Wembanyama claimed that he was just glad to be a part of a team that plays “pure and ethical basketball.”
Many saw it as a dig aimed at the Oklahoma City Thunder or even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander himself, who had a 9 FTA rate in the regular season. Regardless of Wembanyama’s words, Alexander was rather crushed after the loss.
“Awful feeling, sick to your stomach,” SGA said in the interview with TIME. “I tried to let it go for a little bit. Don’t obsess over it. Not yet.”
Ultimately, the Spurs were defeated by the New York Knicks, who won their first NBA championship in 53 years. However, that didn’t end the rivalries between the Spurs and OKC. The two teams are set to go up against one another for the regular-season opener on October 20, 2026.