Foot Locker slams NBA officiating, Thunder foul baiting in hilarious social media thread
A core part of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s identity is their ability to draw a foul. MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in free throws made in 2025-26.
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This included going 7-for-9 from the charity stripe in Game 2 of their NBA playoff second-round series, where OKC beat the Lakers 125-107. Some fans have become frustrated with what they believe is foul baiting from the Thunder. As it turns out, a famous brand seems to agree.
Foot Locker, the shoe store, live-tweeted the game and took many opportunities to slam both the officials and the Thunder players over the amount of fouls. This was complete with GIFs of Stephen A. Smith and Steve Harvey, and felt like your buddy getting gradually more irritated watching a basketball game.
The final count of fouls was 26 for the Lakers and 21 for the Thunder, but several of the fouls called against the Lakers were far more scrutinized.
As brands today try to adopt more playful mockery on social media, Foot Locker is no exception. Here’s what to know about its strategy in doing so.
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Foot Locker tweets on NBA officiating, Thunder foul baiting
Foot Locker has live-tweeted several NBA games, including the Thunder-Lakers and Pistons-Cavaliers contests on Thursday. After one foul in particular called on the Lockers, Foot Locker posted the following, complete with a GIF referencing Oliver Twist.
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Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul.
Foul. pic.twitter.com/YgV0tRQHtC— Foot Locker (@footlocker) May 8, 2026
Oliver Twist may have wanted some more gruel, but last night, this shared some similarities to a foul. It may not be the most satisfying meal, but it fuels a victory and, in the eyes of some fans, it can take some begging to receive.
Earlier in the night, however, Foot Locker had a tweet that went far more viral. It simply read «This flopping has to stop,» with a GIF of Stephen A. Smith looking disgusted. This post has topped three million views in 11 hours.
This flopping has to stop. pic.twitter.com/Q6W47fLTBF
— Foot Locker (@footlocker) May 8, 2026
In perhaps the most playful part of the evening for Foot Locker’s brand, it also began replying to some commenters. When one fan got tired of the anti-Thunder agenda, Foot Locker simply replied: «Stop it Gene.»
It seems that the supposed flopping from the Thunder not only continues to benefit their season, as the defending champs chase down another ring, but also Foot Locker. As the NBA playoffs roll on, don’t be surprised if the officials are catching even more flak from this well-known shoe store.
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