More context is emerging about the viral video of Giannis Antetokounmpo pushing down a ladder on Friday night, and it is bizarre context at that.
The Milwaukee Bucks star Antetokounmpo was seen in a fan-filmed video getting into it with an arena employee following Friday’s loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia. Antetokounmpo returned to the court after the game to work on his free throws and angrily pushed down a ladder that the employee had positioned in front of the basket. You can see the video here.
Joe Vardon of The Athletic reports that there was actually an even stranger incident that preceded the ladder episode. Antetokounmpo had originally been shooting free throws on the court when 76ers big Montrezl Harrell came out and took the ball away from him, refusing to return it.
“This isn’t f–king Milwaukee,” Harrell reportedly told Antetokounmpo. “Get that s–t out of there.”
The Athletic shared video of the incident between the two opposing players.
Video of Montrezl Harrell taking the ball away while Giannis Antetokounmpo was shooting free throws after the game:
Mahktar Ndiaye & @joevardon pic.twitter.com/6jACYFTee4
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 19, 2022
Vardon adds that Harrell was also accompanied by Jordan Love, a member of the 76ers coaching staff. Love, who appears to be the man wearing a red shirt and black pants in the above video, reportedly told Antetokounmpo that he was not allowed onto the floor to shoot.
Antetokounmpo then briefly exited the court and returned with basketballs of his own. It was at that point that the ladder incident with the employee then occurred, Antetokounmpo’s frustration having apparently reached a boiling point.
But that was not the end of the drama. Vardon adds that Antetokounmpo’s older brother Thanasis, his teammate on the Bucks, approached Harrell after Antetokounmpo left the court for good. Harrell replied by reportedly threatening Thanasis, saying, “I’ll beat your a–” and “You better send that s–t back to the locker room.” Thanasis then walked away without incident.
You can read Vardon’s full reporting on the bizarre sequence of events from start to finish here.
Antetokounmpo shot a dismal 4-for-15 on free throws in the 110-102 loss to the 76ers and was clearly just trying to put in extra work after the game. But be it some unwritten code or a desire for homecourt intimidation, Harrell was not having it one bit. Antetokounmpo and Harrell do also have a bit of history with one another that is worth mentioning.
