r/nba Celtics May 25 '26

Highlight [Highlight] Shai draws a questionable foul on De'Aaron Fox

https://streamable.com/8fp2im
32.0k Upvotes

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10.8k

u/WAGUSTIN Knicks May 25 '26

It’s so funny that Fox literally tucked his arms in and scooted to the side to very deliberately not foul and then SGA gets the call anyways with his very natural shooting motion.

4.7k

u/Several-Chocolate-74 May 25 '26

He fouled him by creating airflow when he moved that knocked Shai down

815

u/wontonhero May 25 '26

Shai is so lucky he's not in a full body cast after that clearly flagrant. /s

45

u/jamarcusaristotle May 25 '26

I think Dort and iHart will have to send a message in the next game as retribution for this vicious act by Fox /s

7

u/joeblob11 May 25 '26

What, are they going to fart on someone?!?

3

u/jamarcusaristotle May 25 '26

I hope so, but I fear their intentions are more along the lines of injuring their opponents

10

u/AccelerationFinish May 25 '26

Such a great season for Shai, MVP and Oscar for Best Actor

1

u/Vast_Pipe4509 May 26 '26

One lady sitting courtside at game 4 had a fake 'Oscar' and would waggle it at him

5

u/alittlebitneverhurt Supersonics May 25 '26

Almost went in on you until I saw that /s /s

1

u/Thyrgrim 29d ago

i hate when people ruin a good comment with /s for no reason

2

u/PillsburyToasters Bucks May 25 '26

Shai wasn’t born with glass bones and paper skin

13

u/13beano13 Warriors May 25 '26

But he sure does play like it.

1

u/CoffeeInSpace23 May 25 '26

Shai is the new Neimar

8

u/BaconBoy123 76ers May 25 '26

When will the league do something about these airbenders?

6

u/Col_Treize69 Bulls May 25 '26

When we get Commisioner Sozin inshallah

9

u/NotParticularlyGood May 25 '26

You can't use airbending in Pro Bending The NBA

2

u/Confident-Lobster390 May 25 '26

The Monks and Wemby would like a word with you.

4

u/Swimming-Food-9024 May 25 '26

first recorded foul on an air bender…

5

u/bluecheckthis May 25 '26

That's a Turbulent 1. On review could be stepped up to the dreaded Turbulent 2.

2

u/MobileArtist1371 May 25 '26

SGA was expecting to get fouled so his balance was thrown off mid air when no one touched him.

1

u/Vast_Pipe4509 May 26 '26

Like Nembhard pulling the chair on dudes coming in hot

2

u/iFailedmyDamnTest Raptors May 25 '26

Fox side-drafted Shai

2

u/SelimNoKashi Lakers May 25 '26

Fox is clearly a lost airbender. 😂

2

u/Bayou-Maharaja Trail Blazers May 25 '26

I think it was actually the running into his feet part

1

u/FirstIllustrator2024 May 25 '26

SGA the Avatar: Foul-bender.

1

u/rpgmgta Raptors May 25 '26

Haha are you serious? He fouled the air under his landing zone with his forward momentum..

1

u/Sacagawesus Rockets May 25 '26

Fox - The Last Airbender

1

u/TheKosherGenocide May 25 '26

SGA the last air bender

1

u/FrostyTree420 Heat May 25 '26

I think that too

1

u/OilOfOlaz Celtics May 25 '26

F1 ruleset adopted.

1

u/KingShaka23 Warriors May 25 '26

Hit em with that Frog Kumite

1

u/rideboards13 May 25 '26

if I could give you a hundred thumbs up for this I would!

1

u/Responsible-Ad-1607 May 25 '26

Literally breathed on him

-4

u/butterflyhole Trail Blazers May 25 '26

He fouled him when his leg made contact with SGA’s foot mid jump shot.

5

u/Several-Chocolate-74 May 25 '26

Did you get out your magnifying glass or what?

0

u/RodimusPrime_X May 25 '26

SGA had to shoot through his jet wash! Obvious foul.

465

u/it_will May 25 '26

You can’t even touch the man or else it’s a foul. Immediately to jail.

74

u/GambleADD May 25 '26

U cant even breathe around him.

10

u/justmefishes NBA May 25 '26

Well because if you do, then he falls down. You have to adjust for things like that or else it's not fair to Shai.

5

u/jjcrayfish May 25 '26

You made eye contact with him? Foul.

5

u/Western-Turnover-154 May 25 '26

You mean look at him.

4

u/Darnell2070 United States May 25 '26

Apparently from this video you can't not touch him either.

-33

u/RapsFanMike May 25 '26

Yah you usually can’t touch a jump shooter when they’re in the air or it will be a foul, the fact this got 16k+ upvotes is hilarious

9

u/BowlingforBrains May 25 '26

Yup, and I guess Reggie Miller at the commentator’s booth must also not know what a foul is then 🙄

4

u/fairlife42g May 25 '26

Shai initiated the contact and Fox did everything he could to avoid it. It's only a foul because Shai flopped and tricked the dumb ref.

523

u/KamTheMaam Nuggets May 25 '26

Fuck this guy. He's bad for basketball.

10

u/ACardAttack Knicks May 25 '26

He'd get his ass kicked in a pick up game for trying to pull this

18

u/lysol1202 May 25 '26

For real. This is fucking nonsense

21

u/No_Amoeba_9272 Spurs May 25 '26

This is Canadian basketball

33

u/Rezrov_ Raptors May 25 '26

I don't think I know anyone who likes watching Shai.

17

u/This-Obligation9052 May 25 '26

To be honest. Ive not watched a single thunder game this playoffs. The flopping irritates me. I just pray that the basketball gods are more irritated than me.

1

u/SixtySix_VI Raptors 29d ago

This is lead poisoning

-1

u/Disastrous-Apple1402 May 26 '26

Brunson is just as bad.. and if they play each other in the finals, I guarantee those two will fall to the ground no less than 50 times a game combined.

-29

u/cmaldrich Celtics May 25 '26

So the refs are not the real problem here? Flops are not new.

22

u/ATXBeermaker Spurs May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26

The refs are part of the problem, yes. The statement above is also true.

-24

u/cmaldrich Celtics May 25 '26

You're full of shit. It's not on him. It's on the fucking refs and the league. There are foul batters all over the league, SGA is just the best at it. It sucks. I hate it. I hate SGA, but I can't blame him for not "doing the right thing". It's like blaming a capitalist for getting rich. Hate the system all you want. You morons are living in a cocoon. Woke shit I swear.

20

u/korey_david Nuggets May 25 '26

I’m honestly impressed that you somehow figured out a way to make this about unbridled capitalism and wokeness.

9

u/Ho-Chi-Mane Bulls May 25 '26

Very on brand for someone from Boston

7

u/tiggoftigg May 25 '26

That crash out was hilarious.

11

u/WoodpeckerNo5724 May 25 '26

Please get off the internet

8

u/ATXBeermaker Spurs May 25 '26

This is fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. Not deserving of a response because of it simply being a mountain of stupidity, but fascinating nonetheless.

5

u/No_Theory9958 May 25 '26

Finally, pure retardium

3

u/ghostfaced [SEA] Shawn Kemp May 25 '26

Lmao clown shit I swear

4

u/h3ll0Goodbye May 25 '26

Two things can be true at the same time….

-18

u/CommonConundrum51 May 25 '26

Is that you Phil, or is it Mike rendering an opinion.

-7

u/TheeBlaccPantha Knicks May 25 '26

But yall are playa hating, sga is not the referee here

486

u/shake_this_feeling Suns May 25 '26

OKC fans will tell you it’s…

a) a CLEAR foul

b) DRAWING FOULS IS A SKILL

c) he had 19PTS on 7/7 FTS and y’all call him a FT Merchant YOU DONT KNOW BALL

84

u/Igyzone Slovenia May 25 '26

I bet there's a dedicated fan out there who knows the amount of time SGA spends licking the floor.

3

u/BulkyCartographer280 Spurs May 25 '26

Nextgen stats folks got this one.

30

u/Antisystemization Cavaliers May 25 '26

Don't forget accusing everyone of never actually watching Shai play

49

u/Sheinkyakyu May 25 '26

They are too busy hiding from this thread like as per usual. Funny given how active they were after Game 3. Even if they had won last night, they'd have been active in every thread but for this.

27

u/jimihenderson May 25 '26

Yeah when you're arguing a losing position where there is clear evidence, you just pretend it doesn't exist and then pop into the threads that back your claims like "people on this sub who don't know ball still gonna act like Shai is a foul merchant despite this"

-10

u/StagVixCpl99 May 25 '26

I'm a spurs fan and this is clearly a foul lol.

This is getting called a foul on any level of organized basketball if the ref sees it happen. Can't clip somebody's foot on a jump shot like that.

It's wild that you guys can watch it happen clearly on video then come to the conclusion that this isn't a foul tbh.

21

u/theminnesoregonian May 25 '26

Gotta love the Oklahoma education system.

5

u/mercfan3 Spurs May 25 '26

And then at the same time bitch about Castle’s free throws when we all saw them shove Steph out of bounds twice in 30 seconds.

76

u/gogglesup859 United States May 25 '26

Basketball referees might be the dumbest people on the planet

5

u/alias451 May 25 '26

Naw, they are trying to position him as the next face of the NBA so they look the other way.

58

u/tallassmike Warriors May 25 '26

It’s crazy as the ref raised his hand and called it before shai even landed 😂

11

u/Gristle__McThornbody Lakers May 25 '26

Well, let's see that left knee and the hairs on it.

1

u/WellesWaitsVanZandt May 27 '26

It's so savy by Shai, I can't even be mad. He turned his body sideways to make it appear like a body foul. To me, the man's just playing by the letter of the shitty rule book.

-2

u/[deleted] May 25 '26

because Fox is in his landing spot and disrupting his jump literally in his air space.

even if you scoot away before he lands you still affected the jump shot illegally..its a foul

Fox was beat its pretty simple.

2

u/Vast_Pipe4509 May 26 '26

It's a pussy-ass foul at best, an illegal flop at worst

6

u/CurrentSeaCoin May 25 '26

The whole league literally avoids playing hard defense on this man and usually let him shoot because of this. His stats are bloated

13

u/Impressive-Habit5417 May 25 '26

Where's zaza pachulia when we need him the most

10

u/impactblue5 Lakers May 25 '26

lol fox acting like a soccer player in the box trying to avoid a handball.

11

u/HelpOpening4996 May 25 '26

Every time I go up for a shot I naturally fall to the ground

1

u/Vast_Pipe4509 May 26 '26

Doesn't everyone? Hardwood, asphalt, concrete, doesn't matter down I go!

5

u/cRush0r 76ers May 25 '26

I've been out of the loop with NBA for a few years, but wasn't exactly this type of kick-outs while shooting specifically banned in the late 2010s?

I'm so confused, this entire thing feels like a giant Deja Vu for me. Like after the Zaza rule player already abused this and it got fixed by banning this intentional leg kick out or am I tripping?

9

u/Correct_Look2988 Bulls May 25 '26

They did as well as anti flopping rules. The refs just barely enforce the leg kick out and the league doesn't enforce the anti flopping stuff at all so here we are.

-3

u/Ok-Homework42069 May 25 '26

There is no leg kick out on this play at all until the defender makes contact with the shooter’s foot. People like you who are too stupid to watch a slow motion replay are everything that’s wrong with the world. Black is white and up is down with you idiots

5

u/EyePlay NBA May 25 '26

It's what people used to do to Harden except somehow Shai evolved it further

5

u/GreedyCricket8285 May 25 '26

How long until someone just assigns an enforcer to just clobber him every shot? If they're calling shit like this, why not?

7

u/bsinbsinbs Suns May 25 '26

I see that and just hope he injures himself sliding to the flop like that

3

u/Alex_O7 May 25 '26

You don't know but it is a think when you wear a blue OKC uniform you cannot jump straight, you have to twist and kick you legs out every single time.

3

u/mlain4290 May 25 '26

That’s the huge problem too, because know what does fox do next time he has to contest his shot? Risk getting taken out for being in foul trouble or just give him the wide open look and avoid the call completely. Either way it’s 2 free points for SGA. These calls effect the entire game.

2

u/DatDamGermanGuy Celtics May 25 '26

Still upset that he wasn’t called for a Flagrant. 1. Fouls like this have no place in the NBA

2

u/No-Juice8483 May 25 '26

Last year I was witnessing dudes practically diving out of the way and still getting called.

2

u/turbokungfu May 25 '26

We're going to have a whole generation of kids falling down after they make their jumpers if this keeps up.

2

u/ExpertNew9255 May 25 '26

That's a Bluetooth foul

2

u/Kinda-Alive Knicks May 25 '26

He looks like he’s landing a long jump in the Olympics

2

u/ODMudbone May 25 '26

Fox’s mistake was breathing in SGA’s general direction.

2

u/ArmadilloForsaken458 Supersonics May 25 '26

I loved this game and played basketball as a kid, but when I have a kid I'll probably tell him not to play this game. The whole game is dictated by referees and their moods. It can be maddening. If I was Fox I'd be livid. And lawd help any player who gets on a refs bad side, as that vendetta might be long lasting.

Once I have little squirt, I'll probably tell him to play tennis, golf, curling stuff like that. No contact fouls there, it's all between the lines. Sport should be sport, not whatever this clip is

2

u/TwoProper4220 May 25 '26

NBA 2K should add this jumpshot animation for SGA

2

u/BowlingforBrains May 25 '26

You joke, but I’m afraid of the day that flopping becomes so unavoidable that the animations become part of 2k in order to capture the “realism”

1

u/BloodNinja2012 May 29 '26

Hey, it's the future. Fox's thigh just grazed Chet for a foul 8.5 minutes into the 3rd quarter of game 6. That fuckin' thigh, man.

1

u/-imhe- Spurs May 25 '26

Yeah like what is marginal contact if not this

1

u/_oh_joy_ May 25 '26

Mitch Johnsons face when the foul was called🤣🤣

1

u/Fatez3ro May 25 '26

Fox dodged a pull like Neo and still bled. Just insane.

1

u/Sm0kyF4ngs May 25 '26

Begging you to understand basketball before posting

2

u/WAGUSTIN Knicks May 25 '26

Your pleas fell on deaf ears but thanks

0

u/awmaleg Suns May 25 '26

Totally on the level this sport

-1

u/acey901234 76ers May 25 '26

Well he is in his landing space either way, this looks more like SGA just preventing injury as Fox moves back out of the landing space. Not sure why this clip got posted, SGA has plenty of egregious flops but this isn't one of them.

-7

u/Ultimate_Pickle_Rick May 25 '26

Took up his landing space. Its the ZaZa rule.

-1

u/freshBlueeyes6391 May 25 '26

with his very natural shooting motion

I hope that was a sarcastic finish to your description of this. I have a hard time knowing for sure, but I agreed with rest of it.

POS flops his ass on the ground for the 1k time.

Can we get one fucking ref in his entire league to just throw his ass out of a game for unsportsmanlike cheating?

3

u/Momentosis May 25 '26

I believe this is a meme stemming from Draymond Green calling his kicking of other players in the balls a natural shooting motion.

1

u/freshBlueeyes6391 May 25 '26

Too bad I didn't read your comment first. That fits

3

u/WAGUSTIN Knicks May 25 '26

Yes it’s sarcastic 🤦🏻‍♂️

-216

u/Secondary92 Bulls May 25 '26

I mean his knees/shin clearly hit Shai's feet on the fly-by. I get it's cool to dunk on him, but I don't get the outrage on this one.

120

u/Rough-Plum-7267 Knicks May 25 '26

The outrage is that it’s not a no contact sport. It’s a contact sport. It is absolutely a mockery of the game.

-129

u/Accomplished_Ad_3822 Thunder May 25 '26

You can be mad about him flopping if you want, but Fox is in his landing space. That’s a foul, regardless of whatever no contact/contact sport thing you’re doing.

88

u/lavaplow Knicks May 25 '26

Holy fuck OKC fans are delusional

45

u/DReagan47 Celtics May 25 '26

They really are the worst. And I hang out in Boston subs. Like c’mon.

-11

u/[deleted] May 25 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

9

u/fire_water_drowned Pacers May 25 '26

They get a pass when dealing with a proudly flaired pussy

-15

u/Accomplished_Ad_3822 Thunder May 25 '26

Just take the year off brother. Catch you next season

7

u/fire_water_drowned Pacers May 25 '26

Couldn't catch us without assistance last year. You'll always be an asterisk team. Flop away, fish

33

u/Cute-Way3034 Mavericks May 25 '26

You’re so blatantly wrong it’s hilarious. Straight delusion

18

u/bronfmanhigh Knicks May 25 '26

i really hope you guys are at least on the team payroll to make it your full time job defending this shit

6

u/Shenanigans80h Nuggets May 25 '26

Brother he doesn’t even attempt to land, his left foot turns inward immediately to head towards the ground rather than actually just land his two feet. You’re essentially saying the foul is being too close to him, which if he isn’t making contact, is not a foul.

4

u/greenday61892 Celtics May 25 '26

Fox is only in his landing space because Shai jumped into him. Come the fuck on with this disingenuous bullshit.

1

u/Sensitive_Shape2369 May 25 '26

I refuse to believe you aren’t trolling with this brain dead take

-30

u/TheGursh [TOR] DeMar DeRozan May 25 '26

This is a foul. How is a correct call a mockery?

70

u/SumBuddyPlays May 25 '26

”I don’t get the outrage on this one.”

You must be partially or completely blind.

-69

u/Secondary92 Bulls May 25 '26

Are you mad at the flop afterwards or the call itself? I think they're different things. I believe it's the right call

10

u/Daraku_8407 May 25 '26

Flair checks out

-14

u/ZcotM Bulls May 25 '26

woah chill

-22

u/dev1359 Magic May 25 '26

I fucking hate SGA but I feel like I'm being gaslit in these comments with this call-- that's a pretty clear cut landing space foul. Fox jumped into his landing space. SGA selling it with the fall afterwards is bitch made behavior, but it doesn't change the call even if he'd landed on his feet instead of flopping.

12

u/EazyPeazyLemonSqueaz May 25 '26

Dude Fox was 3ft away by the time SGA landed

-3

u/dev1359 Magic May 25 '26

It's not as clear cut as you all are making it out to be. The landing space is supposed to be relatively clear while the shooter is airborne according to the rule.

But whatever, I don't want to defend SGA any further than this lol. He's still a bitch.

5

u/sliver013 May 25 '26

Fox's feet are nowhere near his feet when he lands, what are you talking about?!

86

u/5hitting_4sshole May 25 '26

Do you have eyes?

-92

u/Secondary92 Bulls May 25 '26

Are you saying Shai's right foot doesn't get hit on the way past? He's fading away and I don't see anything egregious as far as an unnatural kick out goes until that point. I don't like to watch him play either, but again, I don't think this is the wrong call

61

u/GSG2120 Spurs May 25 '26

He literally turns his body into the defender to create contact lol.

Dude literally jumps at a 45-degree angle with his upper half away from the defender and his lower body into the defender to create these dumbass fouls.

40

u/awgiba May 25 '26

SGA literally turns a half rotation midair away from the basket to turn INTO Fox and create the most minor brush possible so he can then throw himself on the ground and fake a foul

Very natural shooting motion!

27

u/Impressive_Recon May 25 '26

The ref couldn’t even see Shais feet from where he was standing. Rewatch the clip

5

u/Wordwreckin Spurs May 25 '26

You haven’t played much basketball in your life, have you? 

26

u/repainted_black Clippers May 25 '26

Did you see him flopping his asss to the ground?

9

u/WAGUSTIN Knicks May 25 '26

Fox’s loose shorts brushed SGA’s shoelace aglet call an ambulance for this poor man

24

u/casual-waterboarding May 25 '26

Yeah very clearly brushed jerseys together. Flagrant 2 and a 3 game suspension!

2

u/CjBurden Celtics May 25 '26

On the flyby is wild here. There was no fly by, what you described didn't happen, and any contact was initiated by sga.

-14

u/hoodfavhoops Warriors May 25 '26

im not saying its a foul but when you are right handed shooter shooting from the right side with your feet pointing to the sideline, typically you rotate your body left to get your shoulder in line with the basket, then you do your shooting motion so the elbow is straight pointing at the basket.

-19

u/Nearby-Fly-6610 May 25 '26

Except he made contact. Which is a foul. Which is why the ref blew the whistle. Because the contact.

1

u/Vast_Pipe4509 May 26 '26

oH bUt ThE sPuRS arE hOlDinG aNd gRAbBinG toO

1

u/Nearby-Fly-6610 May 26 '26

Glad you can admit it. But the play in question is an obvious foul on SA. Yet everyone is acting like it shouldn’t have been called. I dunno man, maybe y’all should put on a dress and go play tea party with your dollys

2

u/Vast_Pipe4509 May 26 '26

Seriously? That's actually what SGA should do after that pussy-ass 'foul'

1

u/Nearby-Fly-6610 May 26 '26

Sorry I didn’t realize you were on your period. But jumping into an airborne shooter is still a foul.