“Our locker room is our safe place,” said Paul George, highlighting the need for players’ privacy in these spaces. Yet, with constant media presence, locker rooms are becoming less private than players might hope, resulting in altercations. Most recently, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made waves for confronting a reporter after a disappointing loss—marking yet another instance of players pushing back against blurred locker room boundaries.

The Milwaukee Bucks, as you know, have lost their 7th game, too, an abysmal record for the franchise. Following the frustrating loss to the New York Knicks, reporters gathered around the 2x MVP in the locker room, eager to ask their questions. As usual, he handled the barrage of inquiries with patience. However, a moment came when he lost his cool. Addressing one reporter, he said, “Hey man, if you don’t want to be here, you can leave… I’m being honest with you.”

It was unclear what prompted this reaction, but now a recent development brings us the reporter’s side of the story. Pat Pickens was covering the match for the Associated Press; not his first time sharing a room with the 6-foot-11 power forward, but he did something that warranted a reaction out of Antetokounmpo. With over 15 years of experience in sports journalism, Pickens has made a name for himself as a skilled sportswriter, copywriter, author, editor, and storyteller.

Did Giannis Antetokounmpo overreact over nothing?

Antetokounmpo found himself surrounded by reporters in the locker room after the Bucks’ tough loss to the Knicks. With the team sitting at a shaky 7-2, you can imagine the frustration. Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks delivered a 116-94 blowout, dominating from start to finish. While discussing the Bucks’ ongoing issues with spacing, Antetokounmpo abruptly stopped mid-sentence, directing a reporter to leave—a clear sign of the night’s intensity. The reporter was none other than Pickens. Sometimes, it’s all about timing and reading the room.

Pickens, reporting for the Associated Press, shared his side of the story during an appearance on Big 12 Sports Saturday with WISN 12. While covering the game, Pickens admitted to subconsciously sighing while Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke.

“I’ve covered the Bucks a few times in New York,” Pickens explained. “[Antetokounmpo is] one of the more thoughtful guys. I love interviewing him. I always love being in scrums with him because I always learn something, I always hear great thoughts. It was very weird. I don’t love being the story. Watching it all unfold on social media was kind of crazy as well.”

At first, fans thought Antetokounmpo’s remarks were aimed at his teammates. Pickens cleared that up: “Unfortunately, it was just me.”

He stayed back in the scrum. Imagine, just sighing and being told to leave the room. Apparently, Pickens did know even realize that it was him, that Antetokounmpo was addressing. He later had to confirm with other reporters in the room if it was indeed him. I think it is understandable when your franchise has the worst start in years, even a little can rub off in a wrong way.

But he later added that he is a big fan of the Greek superstar and also apologized to the people of Milwaukee. A nice gesture from the experienced reporter.

Pickens has contributed to major outlets like the AP, New York Times, USA Today, and Bleacher Report, covering professional sports from a variety of angles.

So it looks like it was a simple misunderstanding which came off as rude to the Bucks superstar.