Giannis Antetokounmpo took exception to a hard foul from Chris Paul late in the fourth quarter of the Bucks’ 144-118 loss to the Spurs on Friday night.
The two-time NBA MVP went down while driving to the basket with 3:46 remaining in the game after the San Antonio guard appeared to shove Antetokounmpo to the court, setting off a scuffle underneath the basket.
After the game, the pair appeared to exchange words from across the court as players and coaches from both teams lingered between them until well after the buzzer rang.
Antetokounmpo’s frustrations extended into his postgame interview with reporters, when he sounded off on his and Paul’s exchange.
“People that know me, they don’t try me,” he told reporters after the game. “If you try me, it’s a different side. If you try me, you’re gonna get that different side of me.”
Antetokounmpo called Paul’s foul, which was reviewed for a flagrant before being ruled a common foul, “a physical play” and stated that he “was tripped or he was pushed” but still appeared to take exception to the play.
“At the end of the day, I think we’re all men. We all respect one another,” Antetokounmpo said. “If words cross the line, then there’s got to be consequences. I really don’t say much. I don’t say much to start with, try to play the game the right way. If I feel like you’re putting my livelihood, my career and my body in jeopardy, in danger, enough is enough, brother. I have a family to feed, and what makes you laugh can also make you cry sometimes.”
It was far from the first questionable foul Paul had on Antetokounmpo.
During Game 5 of the 2021 NBA Finals between the Bucks and Suns, Paul appeared to shove Antetokounmpo as he went airborne for an alley-oop dunk, nearly knocking the Bucks star to the floor.
