Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has officially claimed the first MVP award of his career — and with it, he’s split the NBA community straight down the middle.
On one side? A swelling chorus of fans celebrating the 26-year-old for leading the league in scoring and guiding the Oklahoma City Thunder to a Western Conference-best 68 wins — their first time atop the West since 2016. On the other? A vocal group arguing his supporting cast was too strong, his scoring methods too unconventional, and that Nikola Jokić was robbed.
Two sides. One award. And a firestorm of opinions.
But if there’s one thing both camps seem to agree on, it’s this: SGA is exceptionally good at getting to the free-throw line.
For the second consecutive season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in made free throws, averaging 7.9 on 8.8 attempts per game. While some applaud his skillful manipulation of defenders and precise timing, others see it as a loophole — a finesse that borders on exploitation. The term “free-throw merchant” has made its rounds online, with some using it as a case against his MVP legitimacy.
But here’s the reality — SGA’s free-throw rate is far from unprecedented.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't the first MVP to make a living at the free throw line
In fact, he doesn’t even crack the top 10 in free throw attempts among MVP winners since 2000. He falls just behind Kobe Bryant’s 2007-08 campaign and well below Joel Embiid’s 2022-23 MVP season, in which Embiid averaged a staggering 11.7 attempts per game.
Still think SGA’s getting too many whistles?
More importantly, this criticism exposes a long-running misunderstanding about the MVP criteria. While postseason success often sways public perception, it has never been a formal requirement for the award. Just ask Russell Westbrook (2017), Derrick Rose (2011), or even Embiid last season. None made it past the second round — yet all took home the trophy.
As for Gilgeous-Alexander, his postseason performance is only reinforcing the case for his award. He’s upped his free throw attempts to 9.2 per game during the playoffs — leading all players with at least 10 appearances. Watch a Thunder game and you’ll see it firsthand: his ability to draw contact, manipulate angles, and get defenders off balance isn’t foul-baiting — it’s just smart basketball.
In today’s NBA, where offensive players are often rewarded over defenders, getting to the line is no longer a side effect — it’s a skill. One that Gilgeous-Alexander has mastered. He’s not tricking the system — he’s thriving within it.
Whether the basketball world ever reaches a consensus on his MVP case is uncertain. But one thing should be clear: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is far more than a free-throw merchant.
He’s an MVP. And he earned it.