Giannis Rips Chris Paul over Shove: 'People That Know Me, They Don't Try Me'
February 1, 2025
Chris Paul, who has a long history of being an on-court agitator, was able to get under the skin of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the fourth quarter of the San Antonio Spurs' 144-118 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Antetokounmpo took exception to Paul shoving him as he was driving to the basket, leading to the Bucks star landing on his hip and back. Antetokounmpo pointed at Paul and said something to him, resulting in a brief skirmish between both teams.
"People that know me, they don't try me," Antetokounmpo 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."
The situation didn't end after officials broke up the on-court skirmish. Antetokounmpo waited at half court after the final buzzer sounded to say something to Paul. He explained after the game why he made a point to wait on the court:
"At the end of the day, I think we're all men. We all respect one another. 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 does appear in the video that Paul's arms are extended when Antetokounmpo falls to the ground, suggesting the Spurs guard shoved him down.
Paul has developed something of a reputation for being a feisty player, but there was nothing about this that looked egregious. Officials reviewed the play and determined it was a common foul, rather than a technical or flagrant.
There's also an argument that Paul made things worse because in between Antetokounmpo's first and second free-throw attempts, he pantomimed a free-throw motion with Antetokounmpo looking right at him.
The Spurs were winning by 20 points at the time of the foul. Both players were removed from the game after Antetokounmpo's second free throw.
While Antetokounmpo certainly had reasons to be angry at Paul for what happened, there may have been additional frustration with how the Bucks performed. They allowed a season-high 144 points and have lost three of their last four games.
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