Doris Burke seemingly had no problem calling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a free throw merchant

Doris Burke took a hard stance on drawing criticism for calling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a “free throw merchant” on air during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves on May 20. The response from the NBA commentator came after criticism from fans, especially from the Thunder fanbase.

“There’s a reason NBA Twitter likes to call him the free throw merchant,” Burke said when SGA was at the free throw line.

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She doubled down on the take yet again in Game 4 when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew contact against Rudy Gobert.

In an interview with ESPN's Alex Feuz on Thursday, Burke revealed why she decided to echo the social media noise on live TV.

"19,000 [Timberwolves] fans were chanting free throw merchant … We felt going in as a broadcast team, this is a storyline we need to discuss," Burke said. "The OKC fans took exception to that. They didn't like it. Usually, I can tell I feel like I'm doing a decent job when multiple fan bases are pissed off at me."

Burke also said that she found the free-throw disparity issue between the Thunder and the Timberwolves similar to the 2006 NBA Finals when the fans were "incensed" by Dwyane Wade's overwhelming number of free throws in the series against the Dallas Mavericks.

During his first championship series, Wade averaged 12.5 FTM on 16.2 FTA. The entire Dallas team averaged 20.3 FTM on 25.8 FTA.

Steve Nash makes a big claim about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of NBA Finals

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ascension to the top of the league is what makes sports so beautiful. The Thunder star rose from an above-average player to one of the league's top two-way players. However, it was unimaginable to discuss him in the same category as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, until Steve Nash did.

Nash and SGA are fellow Canadians, and the Thunder star is slowly moving towards eclipsing the former two-time MVPs. However, Nash was not shy about admitting that the reigning MVP was going past him in his career achievements.

In an article published on May 23, Nash told the Toronto Star that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was moving past him as the best Canadian NBA player.

"I mean, he's heading way past me. He's a historic player already," Nash said. "The fact that he won over Nikola Jokic, who's on his way to being one of the top, … shows you how amazing a season Shai had, and how galvanizing he is for his team and organization, and how he just continues to get better and better."

While acknowledging the reservations against using modern players in the same breath as MJ and Kobe, Nash found his way to give Shai Gilgeous-Alexander his flowers.

"I think there's a reluctance, out of respect and admiration, to say names like Jordan and Kobe or whoever, but he does the same thing they do," Nash added.

"If you look at the numbers and you break it down, there's a lot of things he does that are greater than everyone that's even close to those type of players. So he's ascending towards that category."

This NBA Finals might not be a legacy-at-stake series for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but it will certainly be a legacy-building one.

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About the author

Nandjee Ranjan

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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