In a pivotal contest of the NBA Finals, newly-crowned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed up when it mattered. Despite trailing for the majority of the contest, SGA and co. turned up the heat on the Indiana Pacers and their home-court advantage. Gilgeous-Alexander posted 35 points, 15 of which came in the fourth quarter, in the Thunder’s Game 4 victory.
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The 26-year-old also accumulated 10 free throw attempts, which wouldn’t necessarily be a problem if he were getting a fair whistle on the other end.
Shai’s scoring prowess cannot be denied, but it can be criticized. The superstar guard impressively led the league in points per game this season, but he also led the NBA in free-throw attempts by a large margin, drawing some jabs as a result. Regular season officiating mistakes can be forgiven, but at this stage, egregious whistles, or no-calls, won’t be taken lightly.
Detractors have claimed SGA has gotten a favorable whistle all season and into the playoffs. After Shaquille O’Neal helped a recent replay of a specific SGA offensive sequence go viral, that notion has become even harder to deny. The video captured SGA driving into the lane and bulldozing Aaron Nesmith with his elbow before taking three steps back for a jumper.
Officials have been called out for their easy whistle on SGA all year, but with Scott Foster standing right there to witness the entire play, this wasn’t a no-call that could just fly under the radar. Foster missed not one, but two obvious whistles in the same play, and was accused of giving the Thunder their best chance to win. He is nicknamed “The Extender”, after all.
If Shaq takes the time to post a certain play on his Instagram, though, you know it’s a bad slip-up. The Lakers legend didn’t add a caption to his repost, but the fact that he shared the post at all speaks for itself. The Diesel has been a noted fan of the Thunder star for years, but even he couldn’t believe what he saw in Game 4.
Shaq thinks Scott Foster isn’t calling fouls on SGA? pic.twitter.com/QJKo98RGZd
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) June 14, 2025
Shaq was notably on Team Shai throughout his closely contested MVP battles with Nikola Jokic in both of the last two seasons. O’Neal even told the Nuggets superstar to his face that he believed SGA should have won the award in 2024. The Hall of Famer has never been afraid to praise SGA, but he clearly won’t hold back from criticizing him, either.
Shaq could have a somewhat personal reason to call out the 26-year-old, as well. In his effort to rebuild Reebok into a sneaker powerhouse once again, Shaq wanted to immediately land a big name to put the competition on notice. He tried to convince Shai to leave Converse, but the three-time All-Star decided to stay loyal to the first brand that signed him.
Shaq was hurt when SGA didn’t give his offer much of a thought and he has also been known to hold a grudge. That shouldn’t necessarily affect the way the big fella views Gilgeous-Alexander’s play on the court.
After all, Shaq has maintained his support for SGA even after the refusal. This is more than likely just Shaq’s way of demanding tighter officiating in the NBA Finals.
