NBA fans poked fun at how 2024 MVP and Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was positioned in receiving his championship ring.
Over at X, NBA fans noticed how OKC Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was called to the court to receive his ring in a spot that was familiar to people.
SHAI GETS HIS RING
🔥🔥🔥
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) October 21, 2025
“LMAOOOO they made him accept his ring at the free throw line, I’m crying bro,” one fan said.
Another fan doubled down and called SGA for the positioning.
“Cheating, already on his hot spot,” they said.
Gilgeous-Alexander has often been called out and poked fun at by fans for his tendency to have so many free throws in a single game. In fact, the NBA 2024 stats showed that SGA made a total of 567 free throws during the regular season, which was the highest number of free throws made by any player.
SGA’s tendency to rely on getting free throws earned him titles used by NBA fans to make fun of him, such as the “free throw merchant” and “foul merchant,” and with some fans pointing out clips in games where he seemingly forced to get a call from the officiating for a free throw.
In a post-game interview following their double OT win against the Houston Rockets, SGA called to his teammates and himself, if they want to remain on the top moving forward.
“We need to get better,” he said. “That was probably the biggest thing tonight. I need to be better. Group needs to be better if we want to do what we just did again. We’re going to have to be a better team in a few months. But I have full belief and confidence in this team that we will be. We’ll use tonight as a learning experience, how we always have.”
The OKC beat the Rockets in a double OT 125-124 final.
NBA Fans Joked About SGA Being at The Free Throw Line
Over at X, NBA fans pointed out how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was seemingly intentionally placed on the free-throw line to receive his OKC championship ring.
“Foul Merchant getting his bling,” one fan said.
Foul Merchant getting his bling
— Eh, what’s up Doc (@rabbitSZN2) October 21, 2025
Another fan expressed their feelings for Kevin Durant, who used to play for the Thunder but never won a ring during his time.
“Crazy to think Shai is more prolific than KD already,” they said.
“Lmao he celebrated getting his ring on the free throw line,” another fan pointed out.
As the 2025 season progresses, NBA fans are excited to see how SGA’s play style may have evolved during the offseason.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
