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In the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 136-95 win against the Washington Wizards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached a career milestone in scoring his 10,000th point. Gilgeous-Alexander addressed naysayers questioning his free-throw attempt volume. Then, in light of Shai scoring his 10,000 career points, a report asked if he remembered his first NBA bucket.
Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t hesitate in his response.
“A transition layup,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I was in the left lane. I drove right, crossed over, and made a slow-step layup against the Nuggets. I’ll never forget it.”
After being selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 11th overall pick, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for Miles Bridges, who was selected 12th overall on draft night in 2018. After making his regular-season debut, SGA scored a season-high 24 points twice. Then, he was traded to the Thunder in a franchise-changing move that sent Paul George to Los Angeles for five first-round draft picks.
One of those draft picks became Jalen Williams, the Thunder’s second-leading scorer, in 2022. In his third NBA season, Williams is positioned to make his first All-Star selection.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sounds off on free-throw shooting volume
Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addressed critics criticizing how often he gets to the free-throw line. The NBA’s second-leading scorer (31.4) behind Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo had an explanation.
After Sunday’s win, Gilgeous-Alexander discussed why he’s one of the top players with the most free-throw attempts per game.
“In the past couple of years, I led the NBA in drives,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “So I think naturally, I’m going to get fouled on drives. Usually, you get fouled on drives more than jump shots. I think that’s just a natural part of the game. And then I learned a few tricks through the trade along my way. I’ve turned it into a skill a little bit.
“As far as what people say, I don’t really care. As long as it’s efficient offense and my team wins, I’ll get it done.”
Gilgeous-Alexander averages 8.1 free-throw attempts per game. It’s tied for the second-highest average with Lakers’ Anthony Davis, who trails Antetokounmpo (10.6) for the top spot. SGA continues to make a strong campaign for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. After finishing runner-up in 2023-24, Gilgeous-Alexander is the odds-on favorite to win it this season.
The Thunder All-Star also shoots 52.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc, averaging 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game to go along with 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
