Skip to content

Brown calls Giannis 'a child' over on-court handshake prank

Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Jaylen Brown didn't find Giannis Antetokounmpo's fake handshake as funny as the Milwaukee Bucks star did.

The awkward exchange occurred early in Sunday's second quarter after referees whistled Antetokounmpo for an offensive foul for elbowing Brown's head on a post-up. The two players exchanged words while heading up the court when the Bucks forward put out his hand in an apparent apology. However, as Brown reached out to reciprocate, Antetokounmpo pulled his hand back and smiled at the Celtics swingman, who didn't seem amused.

Brown took issue with the two-time MVP's lack of maturity when asked postgame about the incident.

"Giannis is a child," Brown said, courtesy of NBC Sports Boston. "I'm just focused on helping my team get a win. And that's what we did tonight."

Antetokounmpo called the moment a joke and was taken aback when told about Brown's response, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

"This is who I am," he said. "I play the game with fun, joy."

Brown had a relatively off night in his first game back after a strained hip flexor forced him out of the last four contests. He shot 4-of-13 from the field and made just one three in five attempts, finishing with a season-low 14 points. Brown added five rebounds and four assists in Boston's 113-107 win.

Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, had his best performance of the young season, scoring 43 points on 18-of-29 shooting to go with 13 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. But he received little help elsewhere as no one else on the Bucks scored more than 15 points to drop Doc Rivers' squad to 2-8.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox