The 2026 Western Conference Finals left a mark on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's reputation that a second consecutive MVP award alone cannot erase. San Antonio's disciplined defensive scheme reduced the Oklahoma City Thunder star's trips to the free-throw line, reigniting a long-simmering debate about how much of his offensive game is built on genuine creation versus drawing contact. Now, with Jalen Brunson claiming the ESPY Award for Best NBA Player over the two-time MVP, the public conversation around Gilgeous-Alexander has reached a genuine inflection point.
Former LA Clippers guard Lou Williams isn't buying the criticism. Appearing on a recent episode of Underground Lounge, Williams offered an unfiltered defence of the man he watched develop up close during their time together - much the way dominant performances in other sports can shift narratives overnight, as when team falcons win events remind us that a single series can redefine how champions are perceived. "In our game, you want your young star to be coachable, a worker, one of the guys, the toughest, smartest," Williams said. "SGA was all of those things. He was one of the first rookies that I was on the team with that I said, 'Hey, that boy going to be a star.'" Williams made clear his impatience with the current wave of backlash. "When he started his climb, and he got a championship out of it, he got an MVP out of it... that's my rook. When I hear that s**t, I want him to prove everybody wrong."
The Numbers Behind the Narrative
Williams' loyalty is understandable. His personal testimony about Gilgeous-Alexander's work ethic and character carries genuine weight. But the statistical reality from the playoffs does lend credibility to those questioning whether SGA's scoring numbers are as self-sufficient as his MVP credentials suggest. Against the Phoenix Suns in the earlier playoff round, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 12.3 free throw attempts per game. Facing the Spurs in the Conference Finals, that figure dropped to 9.3. That decline isn't enormous in isolation, but it is meaningful when read alongside the broader criticism: San Antonio's defenders were coached to stay disciplined, avoid over-committing on drives, and deny Gilgeous-Alexander the half-step of contact he often uses to initiate foul calls. The result was a more muted version of the league's most explosive scorer.
Throughout the 2025-26 regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points, 6.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game - numbers that comfortably justified his second successive MVP honour. The question being asked is not whether those numbers are real, but whether they fully hold up when a well-prepared opponent removes one of the primary mechanisms producing them. The Spurs, to their credit, provided a partial answer.
Brunson's Triple Crown Changes the Conversation
The ESPY Awards operate on fan voting, which makes them as much a measure of public sentiment as on-court accomplishment. That context matters enormously here. Jalen Brunson, who was not named the regular-season MVP, won the Best NBA Player award - and the case for him is not difficult to construct. Brunson claimed the NBA Cup MVP, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and the NBA Finals MVP in the same season, becoming the first player in league history to collect all three honours in a single campaign. The New York Knicks won the championship. When fans vote, they tend to reward the player who defines the moment their team lifts the trophy. Brunson defined that moment completely.
The fact that SGA - a two-time MVP with elite regular-season numbers - lost a fan vote to Brunson is a meaningful signal. It suggests that the foul-baiting reputation, amplified by the Spurs series, has genuinely eroded public goodwill around a player who, not long ago, was celebrated as the game's next great star. Perception in professional sport is a fragile thing, built slowly and dismantled quickly. Gilgeous-Alexander still has the hardware, the numbers, and the belief of those who watched him come up. What he needs now is a playoff performance that settles the argument on the court, where it ultimately belongs.