The Milwaukee Bucks' controversial and brutal loss to the Charlotte Hornets may have been a tough pill to swallow, but it's encouraging to see Giannis Antetokounmpo maintaining an optimistic outlook.
In games like this, staying positive can help the team focus on growth and not let one setback derail their long-term goals. Giannis' leadership and ability to inspire confidence in his teammates will be critical as the Milwaukee Bucks navigate the challenges of a long season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking the high road after tough loss
While being interviewed in the locker room after the heartbreaking loss, Giannis was first asked what his thoughts were regarding the egregious phantom foul call on him with seven seconds left in the game. He proceeded to say that he's been in the league for 12 years and that he follows some rules, alluding to the fact that he didn't want a fine for criticizing officials.
"Rule number one: Don't give away your money, and rule number two: Don't forget rule number one."
Wisely and with a smile on his face, he declined to comment on the embarrassing call. This is the second straight game in which an egregious phantom foul was called on the Milwaukee Bucks superstar to end the game.
Luckily, the foul call against the Detroit Pistons did not result in a loss, as the Bucks were lucky that Pistons rookie Ron Holland II missed both free throws with one second left to keep the game tied and got to overtime. Against the Hornets, it was a different story, as the no-touch foul called on Giannis cost them the game, sending LaMelo Ball to the line for free throws to put his team ahead late.
Rather than stay on the topic of the foul, Giannis was quick to praise Taurean Prince, who led the Bucks in scoring with a season-high 23 points against the Hornets. Prince kept making the right plays against the Hornets by making the right plays, including taking good shots, driving and kicking the ball and making the extra pass, which resulted in beautiful basketball by him.
"I love playing with him. He fills me up with so much confidence. Every time I shoot the ball, he always talks, 'Great shot! They can't leave you open like that anymore.' It goes both ways. I love playing with him."
This is another thing that Giannis loves to see. The Bucks need Prince to continue to be aggressive as he can be a scoring threat when given the ball.
Giannis also discussed the game-ending mid-range jump shot that he missed. Although he missed it, which would have won the game, he said with plenty of conviction that he'd "take that shot a thousand times," as he works on it all the time. It just did not go his way this time.
He indicated that he loves being in that position to take the game-winning shot. The more you're in that position and the more comfortable you get, the more often you will hit those types of shots.
He got to his spot, took the shot and it was a good miss. At the end of the day, he can accept that and has to live with it.
For Giannis, stats are not important to him in terms of his shooting percentage. It's all about his confidence and rhythm, as he's willing to take that final shot, whether he makes or misses it. He needs to continue to work on his shot and put up a thousand of them in practice, similar to what Gary Trent Jr. did after the Pistons game.
Another telling point was when Giannis was asked about coach Doc Rivers standing up for him, such as when he was not getting fouls called against him.
"I appreciate it. I definitely appreciate it. He has my back; I have his back."
This can and should go a long way on the court and in the locker room to help build team chemistry amongst the team and develop synergy.
When Giannis speaks, everybody - both veterans and rookies - needs to listen, buy in and play off of him. The team needs to feed off of him both on and off the court, as he has the ability to make you look like an all-star player.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the engine and the head of the spear for the Milwaukee Bucks, as the entire team feeds off of him. He must continue to assert his leadership on and off the court, be aggressive on the floor and demand that his teammates follow his lead in order for the Bucks to turn their season around.
Even after a disastrous call that resulted in a loss, the Greek Freak showed his leadership qualities and did not blame the officials, rather finding positive takeaways to focus on.