It’s been a rollercoaster season for the Milwaukee Bucks, who had a rocky start but clawed their way back in style. They didn’t just stop at bouncing back—they made it all the way to the NBA Cup finals. While many viewed this as a sign of growth, ex-Warriors star Gilbert Arenas wasn’t convinced. He argued their success was solely because of their two superstars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, and didn’t hold back on criticizing Doc Rivers’ coaching. But as the Bucks claimed the Cup, Arenas faced a humbling moment, courtesy of former Bucks player Brandon Jennings.

After Bucks’ triumphed over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Playback shared a clip on Instagram. And Jennings seized the chance to fire shots at Gilbert Arenas for his repeated criticism of both Doc Rivers and the Bucks. “Yo, can we get something good about Doc Rivers? He went dead silent!” Jennings said. He didn’t hold back, adding, “Yeah, I don’t care about you looking sad; that’s what you get, punk!” 

It was an unrelenting troll session, and Jennings made sure Arenas, who was also in the video, felt every jab. Gil couldn’t do much but listen. After a brief pause, he responded with a forced, “I’m happy, bro, I’m happy for y’all.” But Jennings wasn’t done. He fired back, “Yeah, you a punk! Let’s go, Dears! Come on, Doc Arena tomorrow!”

The Bucks certainly gave Jennings reasons to celebrate, claiming a commanding 97-81 victory over OKC to win the NBA Cup. As the tournament’s second-ever champions, following the Lakers’ victory last season, Milwaukee made a bold statement about their place in the league’s hierarchy.

Of course leading the charge was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who delivered a triple-double with 26 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists. Damian Lillard wasn’t far behind, dropping 23 points. Together, the duo silenced not just Gilbert Arenas but every doubter who had second-guessed the Bucks’ potential.

Gilbert Arenas’ sharp criticism before the NBA Cup final

Before the NBA Cup final, Gilbert Arenas didn’t hold back on the Gil’s Arena podcast, tearing into the Bucks with an entertaining rant. According to the former Warriors star, Milwaukee’s offensive schemes lacked variety. “They have one play that works, and they’ve stuck to it,” he said. Arenas even suggested the coaching staff needed to hit the drawing board—or more specifically, NBA 2K25—for new strategies. “Go on NBA 2K. Go to anyone’s playbook, copy them sh*ts down, add them to your roster,” he said.

Then Gil zeroed in on Doc Rivers’ leadership, saying, “There is no way you watched the [Bucks’] game and went, ‘Oh my god, this is a great team.’ They don’t need to go to Vegas, they need to go to the practice facility.”

For Arenas, Giannis and Dame were carrying the team solo, while the supporting cast, much like the Lakers’ role players back then, was just for show. “It reminds me of early 2000. You had Kobe, you had Shaq, and then you had the pips. They just out there in the background, dancing, doing a little dance,” he said.

Despite his critique, Arenas did make one valid point: the Bucks rely heavily on their two stars. Sure, their offense can feel predictable, but as the final would later prove, sometimes sticking to what works can seal the deal.