In the midst of a 139-106 drubbing at the hands of the Timberwolves on Tuesday, the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo heard something he's not accustomed to hearing at the Fiserv Forum: boos. The Bucks heard the boobirds as they headed to the locker room down by 31 points at halftime. So, at the start of the second half, Antetokounmpo muscled in the paint for a hard-fought basket, then hit the deck after a foul from Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. As he sat on the floor, Antetokounmpo booed back at Bucks fans.
FULL MOMENT: Giannis boos back at Bucks crowd during blowout pic.twitter.com/MyShKbaYcE
— NBAbzy (@nbabzyy) January 14, 2026
He had a simple explanation for doing so, citing previous instances on the road where he responded in kind to boos.
“When I get booed, I boo back,” Antetokounmpo said. “I've been doing it all season. You guys haven't been with me on the road. Whenever I get booed, I boo back ... It does not matter. I play basketball for my teammates. I play basketball for myself and my family. When people don't believe in me, I don't tend to be with them, I tend to be against them. I tend to do what I'm here to do, what I'm good at... It doesn't matter if I'm at home or away.
“But yeah, I've never been a part of something like that before and I don't think it's fair. I don't. But everybody has their opinion to do what they want to do. I'm not going to tell them what to do and how they should act when we don't play hard. Or when we lose games, or when we're not where we're supposed to be. I don't think anybody has the right to tell me how I should act on [a] basketball court after I've been here 13 years. And I'm basically the all-time leader in everything.”
Antetokounmpo committed to Bucks after trade speculation
While Antetokounmpo did acknowledge that he thrives off of boos as a competitor, it seems that hearing them from Bucks fans may have touched a nerve. It's not surprising, given that Antetokounmpo has multiple times publicly reiterated his commitment to the Bucks after a summer of trade rumors preceded a December report that stated he and his camp were having discussions with the franchise about his future.
Antetokounmpo, in a piece for The Athletic this past week, said he intends to remain with the Bucks for the rest of his career.
“There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment that I will come out and say, 'I want a trade,'" Antetokounmpo said. "That's not in my nature.
“My plan is to be here for the rest of my career," he continued. "If they don't want me ... I'm not the one in charge. I am an employee.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Giannis Antetokounmpo Had Simple Reason for Booing Back at Bucks Fans.
