One of the most talked-about things during the 2021 NBA Playoffs was Giannis Antetokounmpo’s free throw technique. The Greek Freak has never been a prolific free throw shooter and has had his fair share of airballs in his career. But for some reason, during these playoffs, Giannis struggled even more from the free throw line. He tried a different approach with his free throws, taking a long pause and building up to his free throw technique.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnJ48nDIytU
His slow and methodical approach to a free throw became the subject of great ridicule. A few times, Giannis was penalized for taking longer than the stipulated time for a free throw, which became a running joke among opposing NBA fans. After the first few times, he was penalized, fans started counting down Giannis while he was preparing to take a free throw as a method to heckle him. It worked from time to time, but his free throws taking too long did become an issue for the franchise.
Giannis’ slow technique for his free throws could have been one of the reasons why he struggled to make them consistently. Oftentimes, when a player takes too much time to take his free throws, he becomes more likely to miss the free throw than make it. And that is exactly what happened to Giannis. But this did not stop fans from making fun of him.
Who did this? pic.twitter.com/HvQpXbJ2ze
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) August 6, 2021
A recent fan-edited video surfaced on Twitter which puts Giannis taking his free throw during a playoff game side-by-side with a recent 110-meter hurdle race from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Surprisingly, the participants of the hurdle race crossed the line before Giannis ultimately took his free throw. This video has begun to go viral, as it points out how ludicrously long Giannis takes to make a free throw.
Giannis himself has acknowledged his weakness when it comes to his free throws. But at the end of the season, he will have no complaints about the jokes. Because when it mattered most, Giannis made his free throws and helped lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship. What once seemed like the biggest weakness in his game ended up being the deciding factor in the Bucks’ title win over Phoenix.
