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An ugly boo-filled night for Bucks could be flashpoint in Giannis saga

The fans turned against the team in loss to Minnesota, and the superstar heard it
Ethan J. Skolnick|
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

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The Milwaukee Bucks are in a precarious position, not just in the standings but in perception.

So they can't really afford night like Tuesday.

As if it wasn't enough that they trailed by 31 at home to the Minnesota Timberwolves when the opponent's star, Anthony Edwards, didn't even play -- but the fans' understandable anger about that occurrence may have damaged the last thin the Bucks really have left:

The bond between the Bucks' backers and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That bond is often cited as the major reason that the franchise player won't ask out of Milwaukee, even though the current roster is not equipped to contend. Antetokounmpo has become the city's native son since he was drafted in 2015 and emerged as a top-five player in the NBA, a champion and an MVP. And he wasn't thrilled about what he heard Tuesday at the Fiserv Forum, even if, again, it may have been warranted, as the Bucks went on to lose 139-106.

In fact, when he and the Bucks were booed, he booed back.

Briefly, Giannis won the fans back over, as he fueled a run to start the second half, but that petered out, and the Wolves won going away, without Edwards and Rudy Gobert, who was serving a one-game suspension. Previously, Antetokounmpo has expressed frustration that Milwaukee cannot beat teams that are missing some of their core players -- after all, the Bucks hadn't been winning at all without him.

It was one thing for Julius Randle, a proven commodity, to score 29 against Milwaukee. But the Wolves got 46 points and a combined +71 from Bones Hyland and Joan Beringer off their bench. Giannis led the Bucks with 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists -- though he did have seven turnovers. Milwaukee was a minus-11 in his minutes and, as is often the case, a disaster when he was sitting.

What will get the attention of other teams, however, is what happened after the loss, in the locker room, when he made it clear the experience was not appreciated. Those teams, from New York to Miami, are waiting to pounce, should he ever decide it's enough.

He said that when people don't believe in him, he tends to be against them.

"I've never been a part of something like that," he added, "and I don't think it's fair. I've been here 13 years and I'm basically the all-time leader in everything."

Not basically.

He is.

But this has been as challenging a year as any, and this was the worst of many difficult nights. If he ultimately does get fed up and ask out, some of those fans may wish they could take those boos back.

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Ethan J. Skolnick
ETHAN J. SKOLNICK

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