Jan. 14, 2026, 10:52 a.m. ET
Something unusual happened at the Milwaukee Bucks game on Tuesday night: The home crowd booed Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he booed them right back.
During a blowout victory by the Minnesota Timberwolves over the Bucks, the fans at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee expressed their frustration with the home team. The two-time NBA MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP was met with a chorus of boos and he decided to let the fans hear it right back.
Antetokounmpo gave the crowd two thumbs down right back and ended up leading his team on a brief scoring run after the incident.
Antetokounmpo explained why he decided to do exactly what he did (via JSOnline.com):
“I was definitely booing back. When I get booed, I boo back. I’ve been doing it all season. You guys haven’t been with me on the road,” said Antetokounmpo, referring to local reporters who cover the Bucks at home but not road games. “Whenever I get booed, I boo back.”
When asked about the difference for a home crowd versus an away crowd, he added:
“No, no, it does not matter. It doesn’t matter, I play basketball for my teammates,” said Antetokounmpo. “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, right?
Although he did not think it was fair that he got booed, he said everyone is entitled to feel how they wanted to feel.
Antetokounmpo has emphasized he does not want to get traded by the Bucks, firmly clarifying his stance recently.
If the season ended today, Milwaukee would not make the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference. They are six games below .500 after 40 games nearly halfway through this season.