Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most humble stars in the NBA league. Most of the fans are aware of the Greek-Nigerian star’s modest family background and his struggles to reach the league. However, the 28-year-old star has also found himself in ugly encounters on the court. One such bizarre ladder incident is when the Milwaukee Bucks star encountered after the Philadelphia 76ers game in 2022. Moreover, 10 months after the incident, Giannis addressed the issue in a recent podcast.
The Bucks has found himself in many controversies in the recent times. Most recently, he turned the NBA world’s attention to his side when he hinted at his wish to exit the Bucks. Following that, fans and game analysts have gone haywire, debating and predicting the star’s next move. While unfazed by the outside noise, the NBA champion narrated how he was disrespected by the Sixers team in a latest podcast.
Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up about the ladder incident
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In the latest podcast episode of 48 Minutes alongside Ross Geiger and others, Giannis Antetokounmpo joined in for a candid conversation. During the podcast, Geiger reminded the Bucks star of a ladder incident from the last season. While it took sometime for the star to recall the incident, he laughed after a few seconds and said, “Oh, the ladder in Philly.” Following that, he went on to narrate the incident.
He began to the incident after the disappointing loss against Joel Embiid and his men in a 2022 game. Giannis missed 11 free throws in his 15 attempts, so he decided to work his free throws after the game. However, Sixers forward Montrezl Harrell along with a coaching staff took the ball away from the star. He quoted their words in the podcast, that read, “No, you’re not shooting here.”
After Giannis finished the game 4-15 from the free throw line, he stayed to work on his shot.
(via dem389/TW) pic.twitter.com/Gwvta00Fnd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 19, 2022
Following that when Giannis got his own balls from the Philly locker room. When he returned to the free throw line, arena staff placed a ladder in front of the ring. While the 2x MVP tried once to move the ladder, the staff dragged the ladder once again in front of the rim. Finally, Giannis pushed the ladder away in frustration and went back to the line.
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Furthermore, he asked whether they would have behaved the same way if it was Stephen Curry or LeBron James was in his place.
Giannis’ words after the ladder incident
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After pushing the ladder, a video of that incident went viral on social media. Eventually, Giannis made a statement. He said, “I never try to disrespect anyone… I feel like today was just (an) unfortunate event that took place.” He also added, “I think people did not respect the fact that sometimes players want to get some extra work in,” reported USA Today.
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