Austin Reaves defends Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on this 1 controversial subject

Nov 12, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives between Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) and guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It's going to happen. You can guarantee it. At some point in the Oklahoma City Thunder's Round 2 series against the Los Angeles Lakers, the latter's supersized fanbase will invade social media with slowed-down clips of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to prove one point.

Gilgeous-Alexander gets an unfair whistle. He foul-baits his opponents. He initiates contact. His nonstop flopping is a poison to the integrity of the sport. Blah. Blah. Blah. About every other NBA fanbase has voiced those same complaints to the ether over the years. It comes with the territory of basketball dominance.

That's why Austin Reaves' answer was a breath of fresh air. Also known to dive into the dark arts of generating contact to get to the free-throw line, the Lakers' homegrown scorer refused to swing at the slow-pitch setup question about Gilgeous-Alexander's free-throw numbers.

"I know that's a tough topic to talk about because everybody blows it out of proportion. He wants to win and is gonna do whatever it takes to win," Reaves said. "If it's shoot 20 free throws, so be it. If I shoot 20 free throws, I'd be happy. I don't think there's any bad intentions with trying to get to the line."