The free-throw merchant narrative hit peak chaos Sunday night in Phoenix. Dillon Brooks unintentionally stomped into the lane before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throw attempt, causing the OKC Thunder star to miss his first charity stripe of the night. The clear lane violation went uncalled. SGA wasn’t having it.
Meanwhile, fans made it loud and clear that they are not on the same page with OKC’s guard.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Climbs Hate List Faster Than LeBron After Missing Free Throw
Gilgeous-Alexander looked baffled afterward and appealed to the referees to call a lane violation on the Suns forward. That led to a miss with 1:32 left in a tied game.
His frustration looked absolutely visible when he turned to Brooks and said, “Come on bro… you smart.” But NBA fans flipped the script on SGA hard.
Quite frankly, the optics, when he complained about Brooks, destroyed SGA’s reputation. Brooks has pulled this stomp move multiple times. He engaged in similar free-throw shenanigans with LeBron James last month, with video showing Brooks pulling the same move, much to James’ obvious frustration.
Dillon Brooks stomped in the lane during Shai Gilgeous-Alexander clutch free throw
“Come on bro… you smart”
(h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA)pic.twitter.com/HDr4Q3brdv
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 5, 2026
But LeBron didn’t catch half the heat SGA’s getting. The difference? SGA’s entire offensive identity revolves around drawing fouls. He’s averaging 8.8 free throw attempts per game this season. That number jumps typically to over nine in the playoffs.
The irony? SGA built his MVP case on getting to the stripe but now he’s crying about Brooks using basic mind games, which folks see as a soft behavior. They see a player who can dish it but can’t take it.
NBA Twitter Torches Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Complaining About Brooks’ Gamesmanship
Social media erupted after the clip went viral following Thunder’s 108-105 victory. The reactions weren’t kind to the Thunder superstar.
One fan wrote, “I really hate this lil soft ass bitch.”
Another fan added, “I didn’t realize I could not like a basketball player less than I have lebron james. But Shai cc climbing the list quickly. His game is weak and he the biggest flopper since queen james.”
A third fan claimed, “such a cry baby.”
The fourth one shared, “U soft.”
A fifth fan added, “hes about to cry.”
The sixth one noted, “He forgot he can’t flop on a free throw.”
A random X user penned, “No other player would cry about it like SGA did.”
A Phoenix Suns announcer even torched SGA on live TV Sunday, accusing him of “multiple” offensive fouls every game that never get called. So, the criticism is everywhere now.
However, Thunder still smashed Suns despite SGA’s first-half struggles, as he bounced back after halftime and finished the game with 25 points. But the MVP trophy won’t stop fans from calling him out.
