The NBA All-Star Weekend events got underway on Friday, as musicians, NFL stars, actors, and former ballers suited up for the league’s annual Celebrity All-Star Game.
Each team had an official coaching staff, with actor and comedian Anthony Anderson as the head coach of one squad, and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo guiding Team Giannis. Among those on Giannis’ roster were Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, rapper GloRilla, social media star Jenna Bandy, and former NBA player Jeremy Lin.
Ironically, the former MVP’s team also included ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania, who previously reported numerous speculative stories about Giannis’ future with the Bucks.
Trade rumors were swirling about him potentially being dealt to another NBA team, with Sharania leading fans with news from inside sources for weeks leading up to the trade deadline. However, once the deadline arrived, Giannis was still a member of the Bucks’ roster.
While speaking to ESPN’s NBA commentators Mark Jones and Richard Jefferson, Giannis didn’t hesitate to take a subtle shot at Charania, firing away at his lack of skills on the hardwood.
Jefferson commented that Giannis’ “team is not fair,” and the Bucks superstar quickly responded to his point.
“You know why it’s not fair? Because I have Shams,” he said, adding, “He cannot hoop, but everybody else can hoop.”
“In the offseason, we got them as free agents,” Giannis said, with Jones thanking him for the “breaking story” about his roster.
Charania didn’t appear to be much of a factor in Giannis’ gameplan, as other players seemed to be doing the majority of the scoring on the court. Heading into the fourth quarter, Giannis’ team trailed 42-41.
The All-Star Weekend arrived after a few previous weeks that featured plenty of trades. Among them, the Bucks picked up center Nick Richards, forward Nigel Hayes-Davis, and forward Ousmane Dieng in a three-team trade featuring the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns.
At the NBA All-Star break, Milwaukee sits at 23-30, as Giannis has been sidelined since Jan. 23 with a calf injury throughout those swirling trade rumors. However, there are expectations he’ll return to the court on Feb. 20 to see if he can assist his struggling team.
That said, a trade could still occur, so don’t be surprised if Charania is back at it with his reports from inside sources and breaking news on the Bucks star.
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