As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder within one win of an NBA championship, Kyrie Irving has come to the MVP’s defense.
On a recent episode of his Spook Signal podcast, Irving pushed back on a narrative that has followed Gilgeous-Alexander throughout the playoffs — that his scoring is inflated by free throw attempts.
“I know a lot of you guys being funny, talking about he’s a free throw merchant,” Irving said, via Larry Brown Sports. “Nah, man. Shai just plays the game the right way.”
The veteran guard went on to call Gilgeous-Alexander a “master manipulator” on the court and labeled him a prototype for future generations.
Irving’s comments come as Gilgeous-Alexander posted 31 points and 10 assists in Oklahoma City’s 120-109 win over Indiana in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
The Thunder now lead the series 3-2 and will have a chance to clinch their first-ever NBA title on Thursday in Indianapolis.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who went 13-of-14 from the free throw line in Game 5, has been a consistent presence at the stripe all postseason. In 21 playoff games, he is averaging 30.4 points while shooting 87.3 percent from the line on 9.4 attempts per game.
Despite the high free throw volume, his efficiency and playmaking have remained elite. He’s also contributing 6.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game in the playoffs.
Irving emphasized that drawing fouls is a legitimate skill, not a flaw. “All the greats have done it,” he said, reinforcing the idea that efficiency and foul manipulation are not mutually exclusive.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s regular season numbers back up his value beyond the line. He shot 51.9 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three, and averaged 32.7 points over 76 games.
His ability to control tempo and exploit defensive schemes has made him the focal point of Oklahoma City’s offense, which led the league with a 68-14 regular season record.
