Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger, recently received a text on her Instagram DMs relating to Antetokounmpo’s recent scuffle against the Indiana Pacers players and staff. The text message from the fan on Instagram condemned the Greek Freak for demanding the game ball from the Pacers after scoring a career-high 64 points in that game.
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The fan called Antetokounmpo ‘pathetic’ after his fit of rage at the Fiserv Arena, adding that they would not let their kids watch acting like that after a good game. In their message, the fan wrote, “That’s a bad kid the way he acted after. Won’t be letting my kids watch him again grown man acting like a baby over a ball. Pathetic.”
However, Antetokounmpo’s partner, Mariah, was not having it with the disrespect against her partner in her DMs. Mariah believes that it was completely justified of Giannis to carry the game ball after a career-highlight performance in the game against the Pacers.
Going off on the fan, Mariah ragingly replied, “He’s pathetic for not putting up with the disrespect or you are pathetic for taking time out of your day to write me a message calling him pathetic regarding a situation you know NOTHING about? Think about that for a second. Also great take your kids outside and play with them I think they’ll appreciate that more!”
Giannis’s partner goes at a rude NBA fan in her DMs pic.twitter.com/DGohZBKk1x
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) December 15, 2023
The situation between the Indiana Pacers and Giannis Antetokounmpo escalated when a Pacers coach carried the game ball with him to give it to their rookie Oscar Tshiebwe. Tshiebwe had scored his first NBA points in that game and as per tradition, deserved to carry the game ball with him.
However, given both Antetokounmpo and Tshiebwe had the biggest moments of their careers in that game, the matter remains contentious regarding who deserved the ball over the other.
Richard Jefferson thinks Giannis Antetokounmpo should have given Oscar Tshibwe his flowers for scoring his first NBA points
Giannis Antetokounmpo created history by scoring a career-high 64 points in his recent game against the Indiana Pacers. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar set a franchise record with this feat and became the only NBA player to reach 60 points without scoring a three-pointer. However, right after the game, a scuffle with the Pacers players and staff ruined the celebrations for Giannis, as both parties fought over carrying the game ball.
The scuffle attracted mixed reactions from the NBA community, some demanding Giannis to pay his due flowers and respects to the Pacers rookie Oscar Tshibwe. Tshibwe created a career achievement by scoring his first NBA points and technically deserved to take the ball back home.
2016 NBA champion Richard Jefferson believes that Antetokounmpo should have paid his due flowers to Tshibwe and shown a kind gesture to the rookie. In his analysis of the incident, Jefferson remarked, “Giannis should buy it back from the kid kind of like how you buy somebody’s number. Just give the kid a gesture.”
Though Giannis could not secure the game ball, surely his name is now widely imprinted in the annals of the league’s history. With this career feat, the Greek Freak further solidified his status as one of the best foreign players to ever set the floor in the NBA.
