As time was winding down in the Bucks 117-111 win over the Washington Wizards Sunday night, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo grabbed a defensive rebound and hustled down the floor.
One rebound away from logging his fourth triple double of the season, Giannis hesitated, then intentionally tossed the ball at the underside of the rim before collecting its ricochet.
The result of the action was Giannis’s 10th rebound of the game and fourth triple double of the season.
Watching the replay, my deduction is that Giannis wanted no one to see what he was up to.
In addressing the situation after the game, Giannis said he was not looking to score – after all the game was out of reach. Eventually, Giannis acknowledged that he, quote, “kind of stole one” when referencing his triple double.
Some NBA athletes would be vilified for such an action. An action that was laughed off by many due to Giannis’s lovable nature.
But what Giannis did was wrong. A rare misstep from the best player in the World. And he knew it.
The NBA has since taken Giannis’s triple double away citing he had no intention of making the “shot” he took that afforded him rebound number-10.
Kudos to the NBA for not allowing what Giannis didn’t want anyone to notice.
