Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George recently weighed in on the game ball scuffle involving the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers players. Following the Bucks’ 140-126 win over the Pacers last week, the two teams were involved in a clash for the possession of the game ball. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 64 points and broke the franchise record for most points in a game, surpassing Michael Redd’s 57-point mark set in 2006.
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Therefore, the Bucks superstar wanted the game ball to commemorate the occasion. However, the Pacers decided to give it to rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first career basket that night. This prompted a frantic Giannis storming the tunnel to retrieve the game ball from the Pacers, which sparked much controversy in the following days.
On the latest episode of Podcast P with Paul George, George appeared to side with his former team, the Pacers, on the issue. Speaking about the tradition of rookies receiving the game ball after scoring their first basket, the Clippers forward said, “That’s most important. That’s your first basket. You should get the ball. That triumphs everything. Everybody knows that.”
George revealed that after his first made basket in the NBA, the Indiana Pacers sent the game ball to an artist to paint the game score and his stats from the game and gifted it to him as a token to remember the moment. He added that the team did it for every rookie during his time in Indiana.
Meanwhile, a co-host asked PG if he would want to keep the ball after scoring 70 points the same night a rookie had scored his first points. “Not really,” he replied, claiming that such a thing was not important to him.
When asked if Antetokounmpo overreacted after not getting the ball, George said, “I can’t say he overreacted. Maybe he values that [keeping the game ball]. I don’t value that. So I can’t say he overreacted.” He finally concluded that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were the home team and reserved the right to keep the game ball. Therefore, the Pacers were in the wrong for trying to take the ball for their rookie.
While Antetokounmpo rushed aggressively to the Pacers locker room to retrieve the game ball and was seen arguing with Indiana players, a viral clip suggested that a Bucks assistant coach had grabbed the ball right after the game ended. NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Antetokounmpo did get the game ball and Tshiebwe was gifted a replacement ball to commemorate his first basket in the NBA. Despite receiving the game ball, the Bucks superstar was still skeptical, claiming that the ball he received ‘doesn’t feel’ like the one used in the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo game ball controversy: NBA world weighs in on the debate
The game ball controversy that brewed in the aftermath of the Bucks’ win over the Pacers last week sparked a debate in the basketball community. NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal claimed Antetokounmpo and the Bucks had the right to decide what happens to the game ball. He told TMZ, “By the letter of the law if you’re playing at home, you should get the ball if something spectacular happens.”
However, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had a different view. In a conversation with TMZ, he said, “If you have a rookie who’s never scored before in an NBA game, that’s a big deal that only happens once. I’d give the ball to the rookie.” He also came up with a solution to ensure Antetokounmpo had a memento to remember the game by, suggesting, “With situations like that I’d take the box score, I’d get his teammates to sign it and I’d frame it for him.”
While the debate rages on about who should have received the game ball, there’s an agreement in unison that the post-game skirmish was unnecessary.
