Giannis Antetokounmpo has no plans to change his on-court demeanor after being labelled a “child” by Jaylen Brown.
The pair fell out after an incident in the second quarter of the Boston Celtics’ 113-107 come-from-behind win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.
After being pulled for an offensive foul, Antetokounmpo offered his hand to Brown but when his opponent reached out, Antetokounmpo pulled it back and ran it through his hair with a smile on his face.
Antetokounmpo then reached out again but, this time, Brown refused the offer and walked off shaking his head.
Giannis Antetokounmpo trolled Jaylen Brown mid-game 😭
🎥 @FanDuelSN_WI | @NBApic.twitter.com/M8yHxCQH4f
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) November 10, 2024
Brown was still unimpressed when asked about it afterwards, telling reporters: “Giannis is a child.
”I’m just focused on helping my team get a win. And that’s what we did tonight.”
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Giannis surprised by Brown outburst
Antetokounmpo, who scored a season-high 43 points, appeared surprised by Brown’s take on the incident, suggesting they had previously had a good relationship.
He said: “Obviously, it’s a joke. We’re playing basketball, but at the same time, you gotta have fun while playing. I think he’s an incredible player. He does whatever he can to help his team win. Extremely competitive player. We’ve played against one another many times.
“We always – I think – we always joke around within the flow of the game. It’s something I do with my kids. I play around. ‘Oh, give me a high five. Ope, you’re too slow.’ I just did it. I enjoyed it though. It was fun.”
Giannis’ efforts not enough
Brown had the last laugh on the court as the NBA champions came back from a 17-point deficit to improve to 9-2 for the season.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was frustrated by his side’s second-half drop off.
He said: “We can’t sustain. The Cleveland game [also], we came out like gangbusters, and as the game goes on, we just don’t sustain our play.”
