“Absolutely shocked” – Coco Gauff’s ex-coach blasts NBA Finals refereeing after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ‘blatant’ foul-drawing in Game 5 vs Pacers

June 18, 2025

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Coco Gauff’s ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, recently lashed out at NBA Finals referees after they rewarded Oklahoma City Thunder’s player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s blatant foul calls. The former tennis player frequently voices his opinions about Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive fouls.

The Oklahoma City Thunder squared off against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 16, 2025, where the former nabbed the victory with a score of 120-109. During this game at the Paycom center, Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the significant players who helped his team bag the win; however, he was pointed out for blatant foul drawing by Gauff’s ex-coach, Gilbert.

The professional tennis coach showcased his frustration toward the game’s referees for rewarding Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul draws. He took to his X handle, making his feelings clear about referees falling for the ‘foul hunters.’ Calling the game difficult to watch, he wrote:

"I’m absolutely shocked the way Refs are falling for the foul hunters blatantly jumping into guys armbars and flopping rewards, it’s not or ever should be rewarded, I know I’m getting old but extremely difficult to watch unless you are his home team."

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Shortly ahead of this, Coco Gauff's ex-coach also called out Gilgeous-Alexander for his foul draws during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. He said that after watching the latter's game, he was 'bummed' even thinking about watching Game 5.

Coco Gauff's ex-coach Brad Gilbert revealed a mistake he made at the 1988 Seoul Olympics

Coco Gauff's ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, recently sat for a conversation with Tennis Channel, where he opened up about one of the most 'fatal' mistakes of his career during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. After retiring for almost 25 years, Gilbert revealed one incident that took away an opportunity to win a gold medal.

"My draw was Tim Mayotte, and I was set to play him. Mayotte had just beaten Edberg, and for some reason—coming off a long injury—I didn’t really give myself a chance. I got ahead of myself. I literally thought, 'I’ve got this gold,' and I made the fatal mistake of cashing the check before it was in my hand." he said (21:40).

He further revealed that he did not play his best tennis during the semi-final clash, stating:

"I went out and played a woeful match against my teammate Tim Mayotte. I lost. All the matches then were best of five, and I lost 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. The courts were lightning-fast. I would have lost to Edberg in that bronze medal playoff. But the sad thing was, like three weeks later at Båstad, I thumped Mayotte in maybe the round of 16."

Coco Gauff's ex-coach, Brad Gilbert, won 20 ATP singles titles during the course of his career.

About the author

An English Honors graduate, Nancy is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering US Olympic sports. She has a total experience of 4 years, having previously worked as a Marketing Executive for BYJU’S before finding her footing at SK.

To deliver the best content, Nancy keeps herself updated by reading as much as possible about the athletes and the sport, and believes that researching and trusting credible sources is the key to reporting ethical and accurate information.

Track and Field events particularly interest Nancy, and she is a fan of Allyson Felix. While she cherished each of her victories, her favorite Olympic moment happens to be the retired athlete’s 10th medal at the Games.

Nancy believes that covering the personal lives and training sessions of the Olympic athletes, and showcasing old podcasts or interviews would help bridge the coverage gap of the sport in its off season.

When away from her keyboard, Nancy spends most of her free time reading books. She also writes poems and plans on publishing a book.

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