NBA fans made plenty of tampering jokes after the Lakers claimed Giannis’ brother

LeBron James must be playing the long game.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers put in a waiver claim on Kostas Antetokounmpo — the younger brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo — for a two-way contract.

While there isn’t much to get excited about on paper with Kostas — he’s appeared in two NBA games and has one career point — many NBA fans saw the move as an opportunistic approach to the 2021 free-agency period.

That’s because in 2021, Giannis will be an unrestricted free agent and likely be the most consequential signing since Kevin Durant and Golden State.

In a two-way deal, Kostas can’t spend more than 45 days with the NBA club (he’ll be in the G League most of the season), but it gives LeBron an extra bargaining chip for 2021. NBA fans, of course, made tampering jokes about that.

Recruiting for Giannis starting early

— Matt (@Sixringofsteel) July 21, 2019

FIRE UP THAT GIANNIS PHOTOSHOP https://t.co/BGhP8bmo63

— Chris Towers (No Pun) (@CTowersCBS) July 21, 2019

pic.twitter.com/Aa0DD44YdU

— . (@thunderszn_) July 21, 2019

GIANNIS IS COMING

— Sad Lonzo Ball (@SadLonzoBall) July 21, 2019

Tampering 2019 for free agency 2021. Welcome to LA Greek freak.

— luis acevedo (@luisace82) July 21, 2019

Giannis to Lakers 2021 confirmed.

— HoodieBoogie (@HoodieBoogie15) July 21, 2019

Giannis coming

— LakeShow Wyatt (@hyattwastings) July 21, 2019

Giannis 2021. https://t.co/OQTiJicXy9

— Lakers Outsiders (@LakersOutsiders) July 21, 2019

let the tampering begin https://t.co/LNLZRdaPeJ

— Terence (@T_Hatch89) July 21, 2019

And so the tampering begins… https://t.co/4B5CJuPqfe

— Bryan⚔️ (@slickBDubs) July 21, 2019

Lakers trying to out-tamper us https://t.co/MpfvOIXnoU

— BlogBoy (@pakhattak) July 21, 2019

Lakers recruiting for Giannis already. Chess not checkers. https://t.co/AFAujGetJC

— Cody Sandhu (@Cody_Bau5) July 21, 2019

It’s going to be a long two years, NBA fans.