There’s been an interesting controversy this week centering around Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo demanding the game ball from Indiana Pacers rookie Oscar Tshiebwe after their recent game. Now, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is weighing in.
The beef between the two sides started on Wednesday night, when Giannis had a franchise-record 64 points in a 140-124 win over the Pacers. But rather than give Giannis the game ball, Indiana players took the ball and gave it to Tshiebwe, who scored his first career points in the losing effort. Giannis took exception to that and got into some peoples’ faces on the court.
Cuban wasn’t a fan of Giannis’ antics and said that he probably would have wanted Tshiebwe to have the ball too in that situation.
“If you have a rookie who’s never scored before in an NBA game, that’s a big deal that only happens once…” Cuban told TMZ Sports. So, I’d give the ball to the rookie.”
Mark Cuban Says Ball At Center Of Giannis, Pacers Spat Should Go To Indiana Rookie | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/iALtWXFs9X
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) December 14, 2023
Cuban said that Giannis should have been satisfied with the win and let the rookie have his memento. He suggested as a compromise that if Giannis really wanted the ball, he could have just bought it from Tshiebwe.
“With situations like that,” he said, “I’d take the box score, I’d get his teammates to sign it and I’d frame it for him.”
“Sixty-four is a big deal,” Cuban said. “It rarely, rarely, rarely happens. And for Giannis it was a big deal, but if it’s my home game, unless the rookie says it’s OK, I’m giving the ball to the rookie.”
It was a weird situation on Wednesday to be sure.