Giannis Antetokounmpo, a famous NBA player known for his cool demeanor and goofy behavior, has had instances when he lost his temper. One such incident occurred at the Philadelphia 76ers’ home court during a ladder controversy. Another occasion where Giannis lost his composure happened 2 years earlier. He headbutted Mo Wagner, a player, at the time, for the Washington Wizards. This resulted in a $178,226 fine and a one-game suspension imposed by the league.
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The ladder controversy was a blemish as well. During a Sixers’ home game, Antetokounmpo encountered another frustrating situation. The 76ers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 110-102. After the game, Giannis attempted to shoot free throws at the Sixers’ court. However, the Sixers staff refused to cooperate. They placed a ladder near the hoop, hindering Giannis’ practice session. The fans witnessed the Greek Freak’s anger once more as he forcefully pushed the obstructing ladder.
Giannis Antetokounmpo headbutting Washington Wizards star Mo Wagner earned him a hefty $178,226 fine
Giannis Antetokounmpo has a jovial and friendly personality. He often smiles and goofs around during games and post-match conferences, genuinely enjoying himself. However, there are times when he can lose his cool.
During a 2020-21 season game against the Wizards, Giannis ran into Wagner at the top of the key and was called for a charging foul. The Bucks challenged the call, but it stood. Interestingly, many players defended Giannis, saying Wagner was still moving when he positioned himself for the charge.
This led to a war of words between Wagner and Antetokounmpo. Eventually, the Greek superstar approached Wagner and headbutted him. As a result, Antetokounmpo was immediately ejected from the game, and Wagner was awarded two free throws. You can watch the incident in a clip posted by user CJ Fogler on Twitter.
Here’s the whole Moe Wagner – Giannis Antetokounmpo headbutt incident pic.twitter.com/OzBIuyoWeI
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) August 12, 2020
Antetokounmpo received a $178,226 fine and a one-game suspension for the incident. As a result, he couldn’t play in the next game against the Toronto Raptors and experienced a significant loss in his earnings. Immediately after the incident, the Greek Freak expressed deep regret and openly admitted his mistake, saying:
“Terrible action. If I could go back and turn back time and go back to that play I wouldn’t do it. But at the end of the day, we’re all human, we all make mistakes.”
During a heated moment, Giannis may have let his emotions get the better of him. However, he acknowledges that people make mistakes, and he still regrets headbutting Mo Wagner to this day in his career.
Mo Wagner was ‘petrified’ with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s action against him during the Wizards game
Mo Wagner was taken aback by the extent of Giannis’ anger during the game. In truth, nobody anticipates Giannis becoming angry or instigating fights. Nonetheless, being on the receiving end of Antetokounmpo’s fury left Wagner shocked and frightened.
“I was ready to be pushed, do the ‘hold me back”‘thing and maybe get him a technical… but I would have never expected him to headbutt me. That s**t hurt. I was like ‘what the hell just happened?’… just a weird situation.”
Nevertheless, Wagner later clarified that this incident would not lead to any animosity with Giannis. Both players have mutual respect for each other, and Giannis expressed deep remorse and regret after the incident.
