76ers Star Has Strong Comments on Foul-Baiting in NBA
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Throughout the entire NBA season, one of the biggest debates among fans has been about the foul-baiting that players do on the court. It has become a pain point for many viewers, and some believe that it takes away from the game being played well.
More NBA news: Lakers' Luka Doncic Looks Completely Unrecognizable Under New Training
This idea allows players to try and trick referees into calling fouls, so they can get more free throws. It's an interesting tactic, and one that can be very effective in helping a team win games.
Players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, and James Harden of the Los Angeles Clippers have fallen directly into this. With Gilgeous-Alexander, it has been a consistent theme all year, with social media blowing the idea up completely.
Gilgeous-Alexander even got ridiculed during his team's Game 3 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minnesota fans chanted "free-throw merchant" toward the league MVP.
Read more: Timberwolves Fans Epically Taunt Shai Gilgeous-Alexander During Game 3 Win
But this has gotten other players around the league to weigh in on the situation. During the Eastern Conference Finals, Philadelphia 76ers star guard Jared McCain offered some strong thoughts on the subject.
"Foul-baiting is just smart. Even when I talk to Joel Embiid about it, he thinks it's just playing the game smart. Just knowing how to manipulate the game in your own way. They have to call it, if it's a foul, it's a foul."
Jared McCain:
"Foul-baiting is just smart. Even when I talk to Joel Embiid about it, he thinks it's just playing the game smart."
(via @BleacherReport, h/t @ClutchPoints)pic.twitter.com/3KJxJyxNYx — Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 22, 2025
McCain has only been in the NBA for one season, but he does make a good point. It's a skill that some players have mastered, and it's led to their teams being much more successful on the court.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 20: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jared McCain #20 help Joel Embiid #21 during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on November 20, 2024 in...
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 20: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers and Jared McCain #20 help Joel Embiid #21 during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on November 20, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. More
Photo byWhile some fans may not like it, it's a way to take over a game. And at the end of the day, winning is all that matters for the players and teams.
Pretty much every player does this type of tactic on the court, but some are just better at it than others. With the way that the league plays basketball in today's era, foul-baiting is likely here to stay for the foreseeable future.
More NBA news: Michael Jordan Accidentally Crashes Family Vacation Without Them Realizing
Thunder Star Jalen Williams Has Shocking Reaction to 42-Point Loss vs Timberwolves
Wild LaMelo Ball Prediction Could Completely Shift Power in Western Conference
For more general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tom Thibodeau Era Was A Massive Success For The Knicks: From Lottery Team To Contenders In Five Years
Tom Thibodeau Era Was A Massive Success For The Knicks: From Lottery Team To Contenders In Five Years originally appeared on Fadeaway World. As one of the NBA's most popular franchises, all eyes will be on the New York Knicks this summer as they try to build up their roster. This season, after finishing third in the East (51-31), the Knicks made a run to the Conference Finals before being eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games. Advertisement But ahead of the NBA Finals, the Knicks made their latest move of the summer, and it's their most controversial yet: firing Tom Thibodeau. The veteran coach was on the job for five years before being dismissed, and the team will have a lot of work ahead in finding his replacement. Despite his flaws and questionable tactics, Thibs was largely considered a success for what he was able to accomplish during his tenure. Unlike many coaches before him, Thibs left the Knicks better off than when he arrived, and now they are in a position to contend for years to come. Knicks before Thibodeau (2013-2020) - No culture -.309 win percentage (30th in the NBA) - Zero playoff appearances Knicks under Thibodeau (2020-2025) - Winning culture - 56.5% win percentage (8th in the NBA) -Four playoff appearances Before Thibodeau was hired in July 2020, the Knicks were the laughing stock of the league and on the fast track to nowhere. On the court, their roster was a jumbled mess that won just 31% of their games in six years. By the summer of the pandemic, the team was already on a seven-year playoff drought. Advertisement Worst of all, the franchise had no culture. After years of losing and cycling through stars, the Knicks had developed a loser's mentality that infected the entire roster. Stars avoided joining the team, and the fans were stricken with embarrassment watching them fail over and over again. It wasn't until Thibs got there that things finally started to change. Using his prior experience with the Bulls and Timberwolves, the coach began to instill a proper championship culture in the locker room that eventually began to flip the team's trajectory. Under Thibodeau's watch, the Knicks went from a 30-win team to a regular playoff team, winning 56.5% of their games over five years. In 2024, they made the Eastern Semifinals against the Pacers before their most recent run to the NBA Finals this spring. Today, even after firing their coach, the Knicks are in a respectable state with plenty of talent, a positive culture, and assets to build toward the future. Even with as much as they've grown over the years, the franchise does not intend to stop its momentum, and they will spend the next few months making moves to pursue the NBA championship. Advertisement While Thibs is no longer a part of the journey, his role in building what they've become has not been lost, and it will never be forgotten. As a team on the rise now, the Knicks must stop focusing on the past and instead prioritize the offseason. If they play their cards right, the Knicks can become the best team in the East with the right coach and a superstar to lead them. Whatever happens next, Tom Thibodeau deserves some credit for his role in helping create this dynasty in the East. Related: "Look How Steph Curry Plays": Jeff Teague Blames Tom Thibodeau For Jalen Brunson, Knicks' Loss This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Knicks Players Are Reportedly Unhappy With Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson's Father
Knicks Players Are Reportedly Unhappy With Rick Brunson, Jalen Brunson's Father originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are coming off a disappointing end to an entertaining series in the Eastern Conference Finals with Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. They lost 108-125 in Game 6 to close off their season. Following this game, reports claimed that the Knicks are planning a massive overhaul of the entire roster, and everyone, including Brunson, is involved in making a major change for the team. Advertisement From the reports of internal frustrations with Karl-Anthony Towns to Tom Thibodeau losing his job as the head coach, the Knicks felt the pressure after the loss. Following Thibodeau's parting ways with the Knicks, a report claimed another internal conflict for the Knicks. And that was centred around Rick Brunson, who is an assistant coach for the Knicks and the father of their superstar, Jalen Brunson. According to the report: "Multiple Knicks players have been unhappy with the presence of assistant coach Rick Brunson, the father of star guard Jalen Brunson. What that issue is, exactly, has not been determined, though sources suggested that Rick has had too big a say in things." "One source called Rick the person with the most power in the entire organization. His status is uncertain following Thibodeau's dismissal, though considering he's Jalen's dad, many assume Rick will remain with the team in some capacity." This report was authored by Sam Amico of the Hoops Wire, the senior NBA writer who is also a very reliable source of information. Are the Knicks planning to get rid of Brunson's dad? We'll find out soon, but uncertainty remains until then. Did the Knicks really implode instead of exploding? Seems like they caused their own downfall. Rick Brunson's Role In Jalen Brunson Joining The Knicks This is not the first time Jalen Brunson's dad, Rick, has caused problems for an NBA team. He seemed to be partly the reason why Jalen Brunson left the Mavericks to join the Knicks. After his exit from the Mavericks, the former owner Mark Cuban called him out indirectly. Advertisement 'Things went south when the parents got involved,' Cuban said regarding the situation of Brunson not signing an extension with the Mavericks. Rick Brunson clapped back at these comments from Cuban. "Let's make it very clear: It wasn't the parents; it was me. And I didn't get involved; I've been involved," Brunson said on The Roommates Show podcast. "It's my son. I'm a coach first. Well, I'm a father first, then a coach. I understand the business. Mark, Rick Carlisle, Jason Kidd, love him. They did great by him. It was a business decision on their part, and we accepted that." Cuban then appeared on the same podcast with Jalen Brunson and issued an apology to his father. 'I didn't want to go there here, right, but it wasn't a jab at all,' Cuban said initially. 'There's no reason for us to talk about any of that stuff, but it wasn't just a jab, JB. For real.' Advertisement 'I apologize. If it put you in a certain way, that wasn't the intention. But it was hard to deal with. It was a unique negotiation in a lot of different ways,' Cuban said. 'There's definitely no hard feelings at all, but it was always interesting when your dad and I walked by each other, you know. It's just like, he'd give me the eye, I'd give him the eye. Then we'd smile and keep on walking. But all's well that ends well.' Jalen Brunson averaged 11.9 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 277 games in his first 4 seasons when he played for the Mavericks. Brunson averaged 26.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 210 games since he joined the Knicks. While he undoubtedly took the superstar leap with New York, imagine if he still played in Dallas with Doncic and Porzingis. That would be a 60-win team easily. Cuban said, "all's well that ends well," but it looks like things won't end well for the elder Brunson in New York. While his future remains uncertain, it's clear that with Thibodeau's exit from the team, Brunson will have to reevaluate his choices, too. Related: "It's An Emotional Game": Jalen Brunson Gets Real On Struggles In Game 3 Win Against Pacers This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Knicks Interested In Jason Kidd And Ime Udoka After Firing Tom Thibodeau
Knicks Interested In Jason Kidd And Ime Udoka After Firing Tom Thibodeau originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The New York Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, and they are reportedly eyeing some big names to replace him, who aren't currently available. NBA insider Marc Stein reports that the Knicks are interested in the Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd and the Houston Rockets' Ime Udoka. Advertisement "Two head coaches who are not currently available but said to interest the Knicks, according to league sources, are Dallas' Jason Kidd and Houston's Ime Udoka. One source with knowledge of the Rockets' thinking told The Stein Line categorically that permission to speak with Udoka would be rejected if the Knicks requested it. "A similar response would be expected from the Mavericks, but a read on their position as conclusive as Houston's could not be immediately confirmed Tuesday night. Kidd has two seasons left on a contract extension he received during last season's playoffs with the Mavericks in the midst of a run to the NBA Finals and with the Los Angeles Lakers expected to show interest in hiring him to replace Darvin Ham. "Kidd was interviewed for the Knicks' post during the 2020 offseason before Thibodeau was hired. He also remains close to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is oft-described as a potential Knicks trade target should Antetokounmpo ever decide to push for a move." The Giannis Antetokounmpo angle is quite an interesting one here. Kidd was Antetokounmpo's head coach on the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2018, and the two have a good relationship. Perhaps hiring him as head coach would make the Knicks the superstar's preferred landing spot. Advertisement It's unclear if the Mavericks would be willing to part ways with Kidd, though. He took them to the NBA Finals in 2024 and has done a pretty good coaching job, for the most part. The Mavericks missed the playoffs this year, but that was down to an injury crisis and the Luka Doncic trade. It would have been interesting to see what Kidd could have pulled off with this new group. As for Udoka, well, the Rockets unsurprisingly have no interest in letting him leave. They had won 42 games combined in the two seasons before he arrived, and he completely changed their fortunes. The Rockets went 41-41 in 2023-24, Udoka's first season. He then led them to the second seed in the West this season with a 52-30 record. Udoka has the Rockets trending upward, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he takes them to the NBA Finals at some point, as he did with the Boston Celtics in 2022. Advertisement So, the Knicks aren't expected to get either Kidd or Udoka. So, who could they target that is available? Stein listed Jay Wright and Johnnie Bryant as two candidates. Wright, of course, coached Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart at Villanova. He retired in 2022, though, and there has been no indication that he wants to coach in the NBA. As for Bryant, he was an associate head coach of the Knicks from 2020 to 2024. He knows those players, but is reportedly a finalist for the Phoenix Suns' head coaching job. The Knicks might have to act fast if they want Bryant. Whoever the Knicks bring in will be under a ton of pressure and is going to have a lot to live up to. They had missed the playoffs seven seasons in a row before Thibodeau joined in 2020, and were one of the worst teams in the league during that time. Advertisement Thibodeau then led the Knicks to the playoffs four times in five seasons. They made the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 under his leadership in 2025, but it wasn't enough to keep his job. Time will tell if the Knicks made the right decision. Related: Tom Thibodeau Era Was A Massive Success For The Knicks: From Lottery Team To Contenders In Five Years This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
