Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the greatest basketball players in the world. He proved it in leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA title in 2021, and he reminded everyone of it again when he guided them to the NBA Cup two weeks ago. At this point, nobody can reasonably argue that Giannis isn’t on the short list of best players in the game.
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You would think that being such a phenomenal player, especially one who’s played for just one team in his career, would make Giannis somewhat immune to the pitfalls of today’s sports media landscape, but you would be wrong, as Giannis himself explained on his brother Thanasis’ podcast, Thanalysis.
Other than being able to see the tape from an upcoming opponent, the Bucks don’t allow outside media in their facility, and Giannis said that there’s a good reason for that. He said,
“We’re not going to let media into our facility, because this is how I believe the media works. The day you beat a team … ‘Vegas baby, the Bucks are rolling, they’re going to Vegas, blackjack, wow, wow!’ And the day you lose, ‘They SUCK! Get ’em out of here! Trade Giannis! He has blood on his hands and nobody wants him and he can’t shoot a lick. Bad teammate, zero IQ.’ I’m like guys, yesterday I was the best player in the world.”
He is referring, of course, to a passionate Kendrick Perkins rant during the Bucks’ early season struggles. Perk claimed that since the Greek Freak wanted Damian Lillard as a teammate, he had “blood on his hands” for the way the Bucks started their season.
Rants from former champions notwithstanding, Giannis is absolutely right that the NBA media thrives on discord and sensational stories. It’s not enough to report on the news or talk about what happened on the court. The stories that get the most clicks are the ones that peddle in rumors: Who’s on the trade block, which player isn’t happy with their new team, which coach is on the hot seat.
It’s the NBA’s version of a reality TV show, and it doesn’t even matter if these stories have any basis in reality.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has had issues with the way the NBA media works for a long time
It’s been said that people don’t watch NASCAR for the racing, they watch it for the wrecks, and in a lot of ways, it works the same way in the NBA. Thanasis pointed out that the media doesn’t believe most of the negative things they say and write, chalking it up to “an aspect of entertainment in what people will click and what people will listen [to].”
He even expressed disbelief that Giannis could be painted in a negative light because he’s always been willing to talk to anyone in the media. “You’ve never said no to anybody that wanted to talk to you.”
Giannis tried to set the record straight about his infamous run-in with ESPN reporter Malika Andrews years ago, explaining that right after he and his team were eliminated from the playoffs, someone approached him in the locker room with an article alleging that he wanted out of Milwaukee. “I’m like bro, I have not even taken a shower yet. I haven’t even washed my butt yet. What is going on?!”
Giannis explained that he was only 24, and he was zoned out after being knocked out of the playoffs. He didn’t know how to handle that kind of professional disappointment yet, and he didn’t even remember the question Andrews asked, but he walked out because he was overwhelmed and in a bad headspace. He did say though, that he reached out to her that night to apologize for acting that way, and that the two of them are cool now, even if she didn’t invite him to her wedding like she said she would.
Even though the media should listen when a superstar like Giannis speaks, it’s unlikely that his comments will change the way the NBA is covered. Controversy is the name of the game, so as long as people keep watching the shows and clicking the articles that build players up one day only to tear them down the next, nothing will change.
