‘Dirty’: Giannis Antetokounmpo Gets Called Out for His Behavior against Jaylen Brown

Aakash Nair | 12/11/2024
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) is guarded by Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum.

Jaylen Brown found himself on the receiving end of an elbow from Giannis Antetokounmpo when the Celtics were at Fiserv Forum on Sunday. The two-time MVP was immediately called for an offensive foul with possession returning to Boston. But what happened after the foul has also invited criticism for the Greek Freak.

As the players made their way down the court, Antetokounmpo gestured an apologetic handshake to Brown, only to pull his hand away when the latter reached for it. Brown would later call Antetokounmpo a ‘child’ for the odd move.

Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams had similar sentiments after watching the play.

On ‘Run It Back’, Parsons commented, “You know what’s crazy? I didn’t see the play before. I didn’t realize that he’s joking around like that after a pretty dirty play.”

Lou Williams was in agreement too, siding with the reigning Finals MVP on the matter. “Jaylen Brown’s reaction was, I thought it was appropriate, right? Like, I reached my hand out after you just hit me in my face and you pull it back to be funny? So yes, I’m going to call you a child.”

The Greek Freak poured in a 43-point double-double in the 107-113 home loss. Unfortunately for the 2021 NBA Champion, none of his teammates even crossed the 15-point mark, leaving him alone to do the heavy-lifting.

One would imagine it was frustration that influenced his antics, but the Bucks’ post-game press conference disproved that notion.

Giannis Antetokounmpo made light of Brown’s comment

“Giannis is a child,” Jaylen Brown remarked after the game in Milwaukee. When the Bucks star was told about the three-time All-Star’s comment during the Bucks’ post-game presser, Antetokounmpo appeared shocked.

“I think we always joke around within the flow of the game. It’s something that I do with my kids. I play around. Sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, give me a high five. Oop, you’re too slow,'” Giannis explained.

He stood behind his actions, stating, “If I’m called a child, so be it…If I have another opportunity, I’ll do it again.”

Though it is interesting that the barreling power forward maintains his playful demeanor, his lack of awareness about how it looks after a rather serious offensive foul could be concerning for the Milwaukee Bucks.

After all, they held a 10-point lead before Antetokounmpo’s ‘joke’ and would go on to be outscored 81-65 after the fake handshake. Despite Brown’s 14-point outing, Boston had enough firepower to outscore the Bucks 15-29 in the third quarter and take the win in Milwaukee.

Post Edited By: Satagni Sikder
Giannis Antetokounmpo Jaylen Brown Lou Williams

About the author

Aakash Nair

Aakash Nair

NBA journalist Aakash Nair has followed the game for nearly a decade. He believes that basketball today is just as alive during the off-season with podcasts, interviews, articles and YouTube videos constantly providing fans with new insights. Aakash closely follows the game of narratives, of who will have a breakout year and who might be on the slump. As a fan, he is interested in all the context and behind-the-scenes moves that go into making a championship contender. As a writer, he intends to bring that same context to the forefront.

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