As he responded with boos of his own, the franchise superstar argued that he didn't like the hostile treatment by Milwaukee fans.
The Milwaukee Bucks' lopsided season took another turn on Tuesday night as they got embarrassed by a severely shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves team.
Milwaukee Bucks / Schedule
Facing the Wolves without the resting Anthony Edwards and the suspended Rudy Gobert, the Bucks chose to fumble their momentum and endured a 139-106 blowout loss. Minnesota led by as many as 41 in the one-sided clash led by Julius Randle's 29 points.
Boos have erupted within the Fiserv Forum out of the disappointing performance of their home team, and Giannis Antetokounmpo simply retaliated.
As the Bucks entered the locker room at halftime trailing 76-45, Milwaukee fans delivered jeers against them. And as the play resumed for them in the third quarter, Giannis clapped back with a boo of his own after sinking a driving layup with a foul contact.
The Greek star, who also made a thumbs-down gesture twice during the process, couldn't hardly recall the last time that he was booed by Milwaukee fans since being drafted as the No. 14 pick of the franchise in 2013.
"Never. I've never been a part [of it]. Kinda new for me," he said in his postgame address after a 25-point losing effort. "It doesn't change. It's the same thing. It doesn't matter. I thrive through adversity. I thrive when people don't believe in me. Doesn't matter if I'm on the road, if I'm at home, if I'm at my family dinner, if I'm at the practice facility with my teammates. It doesn't really matter.
"So, yeah, I've never been a part of something like that before, so it was something new for me. I like it though. I love it."
Antetokounmpo admitted that he and the Bucks didn't play to their standards. But as he was asked again about why he booed back, he offered a lengthy, genuine reaction.
"I was definitely booing back," he said. "When I get booed, I boo back. I've been doing that all season. You guys haven't been with me on the road. Whenever I get booed, I boo back.
"It doesn't matter. 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. I think I'm like a maverick. I've always been that way, so it won't change now. 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 gonna 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. And I don't think anybody has the right to tell me what or how I should act on the basketball court after I've been here 13 years and I'm basically the all-time leader in everything."
The Bucks (17-23) are facing immense pressure this season amid Antetokounmpo trade rumors. They are now in 11th spot of the East and are 1.5 games away from the final Play-In spot.
A huge challenge awaits Giannis and the Bucks up next, as they'll go to San Antonio to face the rising Spurs squad on Thursday.
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