Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander corrected a reporter during a postgame news conference on Saturday.
The interaction occurred after a reporter suggested that the first half of the game marked the first time in the player’s career that he finished without an assist, according to Yahoo Sports.
The reporter asked the guard at what point he decided to take over the game offensively after recording 40 points despite the lack of assists.
Gilgeous-Alexander immediately challenged the premise of the question, noting that his memory of past performances contradicted the claim, as reported by OKC Thunder Wire.
The athlete told the reporter, “That’s a false stat, by the way,” during the exchange.
To support his correction, the guard pointed to a specific playoff performance from his past.
He explained that he did not record an assist during a game against Indiana, per the reports from Yahoo Sports and Hoops Hype.
The player stated, “In Game 4 against Indiana, I didn’t have an assist the whole game.”
After offering this correction, the star invited the reporter to continue with his line of questioning.
The brief moment of pushback regarding the accuracy of the statistics quickly gained attention online, according to the outlets.
The guard maintained his composure throughout the interaction before moving on to other questions from the media members present.
No further comments were made regarding the accuracy of the data provided by the reporter during the session.
The event highlights the increasing scrutiny players apply to statistical claims during media availability sessions.