Giannis Antetokounmpo Throws Fit After Pacers Take Game Ball Following 64-Pt Night
Giannis Antetokounmpo Melts Down After 64-Point Night ... Demands Game Ball From Pacers
Giannis Antetokounmpo went nuts on the court Wednesday night, dropping a career-high 64 points -- and then he went ballistic because of it, losing his mind after the Pacers wouldn't give him the game ball from the evening.
The scene was wild ... the Bucks superstar thought he was entitled to the basketball due to his historic performance in the 140-126 victory in Wisconsin -- but Indiana players felt their rookie, Oscar Tshiebwe, should get it for scoring his first-ever NBA points.
Giannis was so incensed that the Pacers wouldn't hand it over -- he actually ran down one of the Fiserv Forum tunnels to insist that his opponents give it back.
LEAKED Audio Of Pacers Refusing To Give Giannis Antetokounmpo The “Game Ball”👀:
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) December 14, 2023 @legendz_nba
“You want the ball? You’re not getting that ball”
Then, Giannis gets heated at Tyrese Haliburton and yells at him: “Go get the f*cking ball! You need to go get it” pic.twitter.com/e9XAQzNZVl
A scuffle broke out while Giannis was screaming for the ball -- and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle told media members his team's general manager, Chad Buchanan, took a shot to the ribs from a Bucks player amid the chaos.
Giannis eventually ran out onto the floor to try to get someone to get him the ball -- screaming at anyone who would listen.
Giannis goers sprinting down the tunnel and then returns a minute later to go off on Lloyd Pierce and Tyrese Halliburton demanding they get the game ball back as one of the Pacers took it pic.twitter.com/MocZ4VPNBi
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) December 14, 2023 @cjzero
It's ultimately unclear who kept the memento -- Giannis was given a "game ball," though he seemed to question whether or not it was the real one after all the commotion died down.
"I have a ball, but I don't know if it's the game ball," Giannis told reporters. "It doesn't feel like the game ball to me. It feels like a brand-new ball. I can tell. I played, what, 35 minutes today. I know how the game ball felt. The ball that I have, which I'll take and I'll give it to my mom, for sure -- but I don't know if it's actually the game ball."
Memorabilia drama aside, Giannis' night was truly one NBA fans will have a tough time forgetting ... his 64 points broke Michael Redd's franchise record of 57. He added 14 rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block during the contest as well.
Nonetheless, Giannis clearly wishes he was ensured to have the real No. 1 keepsake from the evening.
We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
