Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic took a jab at Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo Saturday after the two had a testy confrontation at the United Center in Chicago, Ill.
Antetokounmpo drew the ire of the entire Bulls roster when he threw down a windmill dunk in the closing seconds of the Bucks’ 112-103 win. Vucevic was the first to approach Giannis after the dunk, with several upset Bulls players soon surrounding the Bucks star (video here).
Vucevic was asked about the incident after the game. The two-time All-Star claimed Antetokounmpo was acting out for a particular reason.
“I’m assuming Giannis was mad about that report that came out the Bulls didn’t want to trade for him,” Vucevic said. “I asked him why you did that. He said, ‘Yeah, you guys didn’t want to trade for me.'”
Nikola Vucevic on Giannis’ late game windmill dunk:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 28, 2025
“I'm assuming Giannis was mad about that report that came out the Bulls didn't want to trade for him.” 💀💀
(via @Will_Gottlieb, h/t @Fullcourtpass)pic.twitter.com/3xDaAVTVfN
The mild-mannered Vucevic would not confirm whether Antetokounmpo actually said those words, but it seemed like his cheeky attempt to let Giannis know he was unwanted in Chicago.
Antetokounmpo explained the dunk was more about the future than the past. He told reporters that he was trying to “wake up” his team, which currently sits outside the postseason picture in the shallow East.
“I’ve been 13 years in the league,” Giannis said, via ESPN’s Jamal Collier. “If we keep on losing, probably half of the team not going to be here. We’re not going to make the playoffs…. And if [a windmill dunk] is what has to happen for everybody to wake up and understand we’re fighting for our lives, so be it.”
The report in question was from Chicago sports broadcaster Lou Canellis, who shared on local radio that Antetokounmpo’s team reportedly contacted the Bulls about a potential move but got shot down.
The veracity of the report remains unclear, but it was clear enough for Vucevic to use it as media-scrum ammunition against his European rival.
