The term “ethical basketball” has been thrown around in recent months surrounding the defending NBA champion OKC Thunder, and especially their superstar guard Shai “SGA” Gilgeous-Alexander.
Gilgeous-Alexander is a dynamic three-level scorer who can just about do it all on the basketball court. However, fans have criticized him for deliberately drawing contact by throwing himself into defenders for easy points off free throws. Recently, more and more players have succumbed to this method of “foul baiting.”
This trend has caused outrage in the basketball world and led to a series of memes that ridicule Gilgeous-Alexander for his petty methods of scoring, calling him “flopper” and “free throw merchant.” As a result, although his talent, hard work, motivation, and intellect as a player are all undeniable, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder play unethical basketball.
What is unethical basketball? To answer this, ethical basketball must first be defined. A perfect example of ethical basketball is the 2006 San Antonio Spurs.
Led by Hall of Fame forward Tim Duncan and coach Greg Popovich, this Spurs team played fundamental basketball with minimal flash and an emphasis on teamwork and consistency. Their offense worked like a well-oiled machine, with guards Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker running the show, and their savvy defense led them to win 5 titles over 20 years (1999-2014). They earned every point they scored, and every player played their roles to a tee.
Unethical basketball is the complete opposite, with an emphasis on flash and isolation rather than team basketball. Unfortunately, the Thunder have transitioned from a promising young team to an unwatchable spectacle.
Last night, the Spurs defeated the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals in a heated Game 7 battle. The young Spurs team was the dark horse on the Thunder’s home court, but they completed the upset through grit and teamwork.
The Thunder, on the other hand, collapsed, especially on defense. They couldn’t keep up with the Spurs’ clutch quickdraw three-point shooting in the 4th quarter, led by Wembanyama (22 pts, 3-5 3 pt), Julian Champagnie (20 pts, 6/10 3 pt), Dylan Harper (12 pts, 2/3 3pt), and Keldon Johnson (11 pts, 2/5 3pt).
The Spurs were an extremely young team, so veteran leadership from Luke Kornet, Harrison Barnes, and De’Aaron Fox proved to be invaluable to their success. Wembanyama’s skill and size allowed them to put pressure on the defense, and heads-up plays from guards Stephon Castle and Fox put the nail in the coffin.
However, the most important difference-makers in the game were Julian Champagnie with his lights-out shooting and head coach Mitch Johnson in his first year, showing poise beyond his years.
How do the Thunder play unethical basketball? Well, first of all, they flop like mackerels. “Flopping” is a term to define players flailing during a shot and hitting the hardwood in an effort to draw a foul. Flops aren’t even basketball plays; they are theatrics to gain sympathy from officials.
HHS junior and basketball fanatic Teddy Lambert expresses his disapproval of foul-baiting and flopping: “I believe that’s Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-baiting by exaggerating contact in the form of flopping is a complete hindrance to basketball. I have found much of the Thunder-Spurs matchup nearly unwatchable as a result of his and the rest of his team’s incessant flopping.”
Arguably, what’s worse than flopping is doubling down and complaining to officials if the whistle doesn’t go their way. To a degree, it’s acceptable to express frustration at referees if they are making bad calls, but complaining after every play instead of running back on defense defies all values of basketball, and nearly every player on the Thunder does this.
The most prominent perpetrator has been Gilgeous-Alexander, but teammates like Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Hartenstein have been contributors as well.
Additionally, poor officiating made some of the series unwatchable. After a terrible and objectively wrong call against the Spurs, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson requested a coach’s challenge, but was blatantly ignored and given a technical foul by official Tony Brothers.
Moreover, referees have allowed significant dirty plays and overly hostile and aggressive defense from the Thunder, especially Dort and Hartenstein. This shows how hypocritical the referees have been this series, because they don’t treat the whistle the same for both sides. If you’re going to make bad calls, at least make them consistent.
It’s understandable that referees have a stressful job and everyone makes mistakes, but that’s no excuse to not take accountability for mistakes. The NBA should investigate these blasphemous calls and punish referees for actions like these. After all, they fine players all the time for criticizing referees.
Some supporters of Gilgeous-Alexander’s playstyle argue that he gets the whistle so often due to the fact that he drives to the hoop 19.2 times per game, the highest mark in the NBA. This playoffs, he has averaged 10 free throws per game and has become one of the few players in NBA history to make more free throws than field goals in a playoff series.
No amount of drives can warrant those kinds of numbers, and if his supporters were to actually watch the games, they would see how he throws himself into defenders to draw contact.
The worst part of the Thunder’s playstyle is that it works, winning them the top record in the NBA for the past two years. However, this loss has pointed out their weaknesses. Rising star center Chet Holmgren had been a reliable offensive option all year, but he shrank in the spotlight and became irrelevant in Game 7, scoring a measly 4 points.
HHS sophomore Julian Lloyd puts it best: “In big games, every player needs to show up and play their roles, or else they can’t work as a team.” If a team’s second offensive option can’t even notch a triple-single (4 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast), then how can they win?
Although they play unethical basketball, the Thunder still have hope to mend their ways. Excellent play from the young supporting cast, like Jared McCain and Cason Wallace, kept the Thunder competitive despite an injury to one of their integral starters, Jalen Williams.
In addition, the Thunder have a superb coaching staff, and head coach Mark Daignault will likely make adjustments in the off-season. They can also use their draft picks in the coming years as trade leverage or to investigate younger prospects to plan for the future.
The Thunder’s loss in the conference finals proves that ethical basketball will always trump unethical basketball, no matter how effective it may be.
