"Would Trez have that energy for LeBron, would Trez have that same energy for Steph" - Former NBA player criticizes Montrezl Harrell's actions towards Giannis Antetokounmpo
antetokounmpo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Giannis Antetokounmpo and Montrezl Harrell have been huge topics of discussion lately due to their postgame interactions on Friday. Former NBA player Matt Barnes expressed how he found Harrell's actions towards the Milwaukee Bucks star disrespectful.
On his podcast, "All The Smoke," the former journeyman said he disliked how the Philadelphia 76ers big man treated Antetokounmpo. Barnes also compared Giannis' willingness to work on his game to the likes of other NBA superstars.
"Would Trez have that energy for LeBron (James)?" Barnes said. "Would Trez have that same energy for Steph (Curry), same energy for KD (Kevin Durant). I don't think so. And not that he's afraid of them, but it's just he wouldn't. I think he has more respect for those guys, and let's keep it a buck: Giannis is the best player in the world right now.
"So, you're trying to tell me he can't get 20 minutes – I don't give a f**k where we're at – to get some extra free throws up?"
After the Bucks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 110-102 on Friday in Philadelphia, Antetokounmpo decided to work on his free throws. During the game, he had 15 attempts from the charity stripe, but was only able to make four shots. So, the two-time MVP wanted to work on his shooting from the line.
At the time, Harrell was within the area where Giannis was shooting. He then decided to grab the ball that the Greek Freak was using and left with it to shoot some shots on the other side of the floor.
Antetokounmpo went off the court to get another ball. By the time he returned, arena staff members were already trying to take down the net. Giannis asked for more time on the court, but the arena staff refused. This led to the Bucks star pushing down the ladder, which toppled over, and became a viral video all over social media.
Have compiled videos from last night's Giannis Antetokounmpo/Montrezl Harrell altercation into one here.
I included timestamps for the videos I was able, using the arena clock in background.
Link on top of the video is to @JoeVardon's reporting, for full story of what occurred. https://t.co/nMKRupBscY
Also read: “I don’t know if I should apologize because I don’t feel like I did anything wrong” – Giannis Antetokounmpo on altercation with Montrezl Harrel & Philadelphia Sixers’ staff
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been shooting poorly from the charity stripe this season
Giannis Antetokounmpo has always been known as a poor foul shooter since his arrival in the NBA. But this season, he's been missing a ton of opportunities from the line. Due to this, opposing teams are fouling him a lot to create chances for their teams.
In his first nine seasons, Antetokounmpo has been knocking down 71.8% of his free throw shots. It isn't impressive, but it's still not as terrible as others point out. It's been anything but that. Through his first 13 games this season, the Greek Freak has been making 57.5% of his free throws.
It's understandable why the Bucks star is willing to work on his inconsistencies from the line.
Also read: Watch: Giannis Antetokounmpo manhandles a ladder & confronts employees as the Bucks lose to Sixers