By Tyler ErzbergerShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberWhat began at the start of the season, whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or go, has slowly turned into a question of when the multi-time MVP will leave the city he brought an NBA championship to in 2021.
On Tuesday, those trade speculations were ramped up to a new level as the Greek Superstar couldn't hold back against his own fans in what has become a car crash of a season for the perennial Eastern contenders.
The 17-23 Bucks were embarrassed on their home floor as the Minnesota Timberwolves danced around Milwaukee to one of their easiest wins of the season. The crowd, fed up and upset as the team began to lose by more than 40 points, turned on the team, booing loudly as the Timberwolves kept pouring on the baskets.
This prompted Antetokounmpo to boo his own fans, jeering them as they jeered back.
Although this isn't the first time an athlete has lashed out at their own fans, it's one of the first times the player didn't apologize for his actions following the game.
No, it was quite the opposite with Antetokounmpo.
He doubled down. Maybe even tripled down on his booing.
More news: 3 NBA Teams Shockingly Out on a Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade
...More news: Lakers Emerge as Giannis Trade Destination After Luka Doncic News Resurfaces
“I was definitely booing back,” Antetokounmpo responded to the accusations. “When I get booed, I boo back. I’ve been doing that all season. You guys haven’t been with me on the road."
The frustrated Antetokounmpo has one ring but has been publicly open about wanting more, and the Bucks have tried to oblige by building a strong roster around their superstar. After the move for Damian Lillard turned out to be a bust, following the sharpshooter's Achilles' tear, it has been downhill for any legitimate chance of competing for a title.
“I play basketball for my teammates," he continued. "I play basketball for myself and my family. When people don’t believe in me, I don’t [want] to be with them. I [want] to be against them. I [want] to do what I’m here to do, what I’m good at. I think I’m like a maverick. I’ve always been that way, so it won’t change now."
The relationship between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks is reaching a boiling point as we loom ever closer to the trade deadline on Feb. 5.
The New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, and the team that sparked this most recent incident, the Timberwolves, have all been linked to making offers for the Greek mega talent.
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