Putting up four consecutive 30-point campaigns on superb efficiency, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a blast from the past. There's a reason why only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Adrian Dantley can proudly say they've accomplished the same feat.
In an era with video-game scoring and limitless range, Gilgeous-Alexander is a throwback. He's all about driving to the rim and being a mid-range maestro. Most of his scoring happens within the perimeter. Sure, he can pull up from deep. But that's more of a complementary feature than a main weapon. He's shot 36.8% from 3 on 4.1 attempts in his past four years — which has coincided with his breakout as an all-time great.
Gilgeous-Alexander has skyrocketed into NBA superstar status. The
two-time MVP is one of the defining stars of this current era. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to an NBA championship. Being in that type of prestigious club comes with a tax.
Over the last handful of years, Gilgeous-Alexander has conjured up a reputation — being a free-throw merchant. Colloquially speaking, it means you rely on a bunch of free throws and exaggerated contact to get most of your points. Never mind the fact that he has a painfully average whistle for a 30-point scorer.
The buzzword has taken a life of its own in the NBA social media discourse. It's one of the ways opposing fans have tried to discredit Gilgeous-Alexander's mythos. According to one of his family members, though, it's water off a duck's back.
Gilgeous-Alexander's father — Vaughn Alexander — recently went on a social media livestream. In it, he talked about the "free-throw merchant" discourse that has surrounded his son over the last few years as he's become one of the league's faces.
For him, he thinks it's all just silly talk. There's no such thing as ethically or unethically scoring points. Buckets are buckets. And Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the first big-time scorer to unlock the secret fourth level of getting to the free-throw line at will. That's a superpower every NBA player would love to have.
"I don't believe in shooting 50 3s a game. Doing it the hard way works the same," Alexander said. "You go into the lane, bam, and-one, hit your free throw. That’s a beautiful part of the game."
Alexander went on to say Gilgeous-Alexander is popular with the old heads for a reason. His surgical approach at slicing through defenses and breaking down a defender one-on-one is what separates him from other modern-day high-octane scorers. Especially at a time when the outside jumper has completely revolutionized the game.
Always interesting to hear what folks within Gilgeous-Alexander's circle think of the social media talk about him. The 28-year-old has addressed the comments a handful of times over the years. And he's basically put zero stock in what a bunch of online fans think of the aesthetics of his game.
"I think it's the hard way, but you go make a nice Euro-step move, get hit, put it up the rack, score, then get to the free-throw line," Alexander said. "Make you free throw. That shows you can play. You got 7-foot-5 guys coming up, jacking 3s. I think it's messing the game up a little bit. That's just my opinion."
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
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's father comments on 'free-throw merchant' discourse
