Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was no fan of the referees after their 103-101 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 on Saturday. However, some people certainly were not fans of the way he played the game either.
It’s not entirely clear why Giannis was so upset about the calls in the game. While the Bucks did receive more fouls than the Celtics, Boston forward Grant Williams got into foul trouble which cleared up a lot of room for Antetokounmpo to score and keep the Bucks in the game.
After the game, he debated whether or not to publicly criticize the refs, knowing that he would receive a fine for it. However, he chose to hold back.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo: “How much does it cost if I say something, a comment about the refs? Is it $20,000? It’s a lot of money. So, I should not do it. I’ll save my money. I’ve got to pay for diapers.” pic.twitter.com/xOQKTQVYXi
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) May 7, 2022
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Michael Wilbon tweeted about how Giannis was clearly getting a pass from refs when he should have been getting called for fouls when he would “bowl people over.”
Giannis, on his own merit, is likely the best player in the world now…but the notion that he should just be allowed to bowl people over without offensive fouls being called is preposterous!
— Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) May 7, 2022
Wilbon’s comments were met with plenty of derision on Twitter, especially from those who noted that the style of play he was criticizing was exactly what he tends to appreciate when talking about the NBA of the 1980s and 1990s.
Brother you are almost 70. Ain’t no way you sitting here crying about physical basketball. Tell us why you really mad https://t.co/5L3gYk0vra
— ♆ Rich Obiquan ® ♆ (@Obi1Shinobii) May 8, 2022
Simply astounding that you hit publish on this https://t.co/8cB8LdPfg3
— Bart Winkler (@BartWinklerShow) May 7, 2022
Come on Mike. How many fouls aren’t called when defensive players are clutching and grabbing Giannis? It cuts both ways. #NBAPlayoffs https://t.co/WhOO1MgdWb
— Cory Jennerjohn (@CoryJennerjohn) May 8, 2022
This take is preposterous… Giannis has to deal with a flopper falling on the ground from minimal contact every second play. Quit complaining, he almost always is in better position than his defender.
Exhibit 1:pic.twitter.com/VnNhOSJUlA https://t.co/MqRyL230d2
— Jack Trehearne (@JackTrehearne) May 8, 2022
This is a wild take from a man that watched Shaq https://t.co/IZPwCLMtuU
— Robert (@mkerobert) May 7, 2022
To be fair, not everyone disagreed with Wilbon’s sentiments.
Agreed. He’s the best. And he also runs everyone over. Both can be true. https://t.co/TsQoBTOxez
— JAY RICHARDSON (@JayRichardson99) May 8, 2022
The only peol who don’t see it are Bucks fans https://t.co/boBXvWp0D8
— Corey B (@CoreyB08) May 7, 2022
Star players getting a loose whistle from NBA refs is nothing new. But for many, they still don’t see what the issue is either.
