Oscar Tshiebwe found himself at the center of a very strange situation Wednesday evening following a match between the Indiana Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Tshiebwe, who played several good seasons at Kentucky, scored his first career NBA points against the Bucks in the final minutes. Pacers HC Rick Carlisle told reporters after the game that a Pacers coach then grabbed the game ball and gave it to Tshiebwe for scoring his first points.
However, there is a problem. Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the best basketball players on the planet, scored 64 points in the game, which was a career high. When he learned the Pacers had taken the ball, he began yelling at the players and coaches on the court before storming back into the Pacers locker room to get it himself.
Here is the video:
That angle of Giannis running down the Pacers tunnel to get the game ball?
(via Tyschrades/IG) pic.twitter.com/EUTYuK5uIb
– Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2023
Here’s more video and alleged audio of the altercation near the locker room. There is language in the following video:
LEAKED Audio of the Pacers refusing to give Giannis Antetokounmpo the ‘game ball’? :
“Do you want the ball? You won’t get this ball.
Then Giannis warms up to Tyrese Haliburton and yells at him, “Go get the damn ball!” You have to go get it” pic.twitter.com/e9XAQzNZVl
– LegendZ (@legendz_nba) December 14, 2023
The story took another left turn shortly after the Bucks reportedly got the ball back after the security intervened. Giannis claimed the ball he received “didn’t look like” the actual game ball, insinuating that the Pacers simply gave him a ball lying around so Tshiebwe could have his earned souvenir.
The saga takes another turn. Giannis says he’s not sure if the game ball he received is the real game ball. He also reveals that he doesn’t own the game ball from the Game 6 finale either.
Complete answer : pic.twitter.com/dcIxc17oJr
– Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 14, 2023
