The worlds of the NFL and NBA often cross paths, as current players and retired ones often watch each other and like to check in with their opinions. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a two-time MVP, is currently a point of conversation on many fronts, and a former NFL MVP recently discussed the Thunder star’s controversial playstyle.
Cam Newton Criticizes NBA Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Late spring brings the NBA playoffs into focus, and at the same time, OTAs in the NFL begin to wind down. In that time, the sports media airspace is filled with opinions flowing back and forth. This time, Cam Newton checked in regarding the reigning NBA MVP during a segment on his podcast, the “4th & 1 With Cam Newton.”
“I hate that we are questioning skill when all SGA is doing is a byproduct of scorers that came before him,” Newton said. He then compared Gilgeous-Alexander to James Harden’s style when the latter dominated the NBA with the Houston Rockets.
Gilgeous-Alexander has a reputation for flopping, the act of falling to embellish contact and draw fouls. Before last night’s game, Yahoo Sports writer Tom Haberstroh detailed the sheer amount of flopping by one of the best players in the NBA.
On shots that did not result in foul calls, Gilgeous-Alexander fell on 10.7% of his field attempts during the playoffs, which leads the NBA. In contrast, Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs star, hit the ground just one time in 164 attempts, as of May 22. Similarly, the All-NBA selection fell on 19 of his 37 shot attempts that referees whistled to that point. Newton offered advice.
“When you’re watching games, and you’re saying to yourself, ‘Stay up, bruh,'” Newton added. “Man, you can do a layup without falling on the ground, or flopping. You are a good basketball player… I just hope the referees and the commissioner are just kind of like, ‘Hey, dawg, what are we doing?’ And I am a fan of him, but I’m not just a fan of the antics, though.”
Flopping is nothing new…It’s just SGA has MASTERED it 🤷🏾♂️
Check out the full episode on YouTube 🤟🏾📺 pic.twitter.com/YDz1MbpCwY
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) May 29, 2026
As one of the bigger NFL quarterbacks in recent memory, Newton absorbed all manner of hits, whether legal or not. Meanwhile, the NBA, in the opinion of many, became a sport where falling down was a natural part of the game.
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Starting in 2022, Gilgeous-Alexander’s game began to shift. The year before, he averaged 24.5 points per game while attempting 7.2 free throws. Since then, the four-time All-Star hasn’t averaged less than 30.1 points and 8.7 free throws.
The Thunder sit tied with the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The deciding Game 7, with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, starts tomorrow at 7 p.m. Central.
