It’s not every day you see someone get hit with the ‘too slow’ fake handshake. It’s even less common to see an NBA player fall for it.
And so, Boston Celtics star forward Jaylen Brown, after being on the receiving end of the fake handshake Sunday night from Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, expressed very little patience for the gesture, criticizing Antetokounmpo following Boston’s 113-107 victory over Milwaukee.
‘Giannis is a child,’ Brown told reporters after the game. ‘I’m just focused on helping my team get a win. And that’s what we did tonight.’
It was a physical game between the two teams, but particularly between Antetokounmpo and Brown, who often guarded each other on opposite ends. The fake handshake happened in the second half, seconds after Antetokounmpo was called for an offensive foul, for swinging his elbow up near Brown’s head.
As the two were walking back, there appeared to be some words exchanged. Antetokounmpo then reached out his hand as an apparent conciliatory gesture, only to quickly withdraw his hand with a smile.
‘Oh, that’s what he said? Dang,’ Antetokounmpo said in a news conference when told about Brown’s comments. ‘He said that I was a child? I thought I gave him a compliment and he was just going at me. But at the same time, this is who I am. I play the game with fun, joy.’
Brown would also later compliment Antetokounmpo, who scored 43 points and added 14 rebounds, for having a good game.
‘I’m just going to continue to be me and at the end of the day,’ Antetokounmpo said. ‘If I’m called a child, so be it. I have three children of my own. I have six nieces. I take care of a lot of kids around here, so sometimes when you’re around a kid, you try to act like it.’
Later in the game, midway through the fourth quarter, Brown was called for a flagrant foul when Antetokounmpo was driving through the lane. Brown met Antetokounmpo in the paint with body contact, sending Antetokounmpo to the floor.
Brown said he didn’t have the fake handshake in mind when he committed the foul, saying it was ‘just playing basketball.’
The flagrant foul happened during a tie game, and Antetokounmpo’s converted free throws gave Milwaukee a two-point lead. Boston, however, would go on a small run to reclaim the lead, eventually winning the game.
Brown scored 14 points and added five rebounds and four assists. The Celtics improved to 9-2, while Milwaukee fell to 2-8, second-to-last in the Eastern Conference.
‘I just like to go out there and have fun, but again, great player, great competitor,’ Antetokounmpo said. ‘If I have another opportunity, I’ll do it again.’