The Giannis Antetokounmpo-Indiana Pacers incident over the game ball will go down in history as one of the more bizarre ones we have ever seen. Many have had their say on the matter and now Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George has shared his thoughts on the incident on the latest episode of Podcast P.
“Yeah, that’s definitely a thing,” George said when asked if it was tradition to give the game ball to a rookie who scores his first NBA point. “That’s most important… Everybody knows that.”
George revealed he had gotten the game ball when he scored his first point. The 33-year-old also stated that the Clippers had done it for rookies Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller this season. When asked if Giannis was overreacting then, George said he wasn’t.
“I can’t say he overreacted because maybe he values that,” George stated. “… That’s more of like a home team thing. For Indiana to take the ball, they’re the road team, that’s where the problem lies. You don’t get that right ’cause you’re the road team. The home team gets that ball.”
PG confirms the rookie game ball tradition in the NBA, but Giannis had a valid case too
More on the full episode dropping tomorrow!
🎥: https://t.co/SdlZP38kdi
🎧: https://t.co/jgQstL9UoM pic.twitter.com/MSeHm0Jubr
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) December 17, 2023
George was then asked if he’d want the game ball if he scored 50 in a game this season, and he stated he wouldn’t. When co-host Dallas Rutherford asked what about if he scored 83 in a game, George hilariously stated he would then absolutely want it. Well, you certainly deserve that game ball if you score over 80 points in a game.
Going by the eight-time All-Star’s comments, you get that both sides had a case here. The Pacers were just following tradition as they wanted to give the game ball to rookie Oscar Tshiebwe for scoring his first point.
Giannis, meanwhile, was not happy that the road team had seemingly taken his precious game ball. I do believe he overreacted a bit, though, as he ran down the tunnel to confront the Pacers and had some strong words for Tyrese Haliburton on the court.
Mark Cuban Believes Tshiebwe Deserved The Game Ball More Than Giannis
While we got a player’s perspective with George here, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has also commented on the situation. Cuban simply believes Tshiebwe deserved the game ball more than Giannis.
“If you have a rookie who’s never scored before in an NBA game, that’s a big deal that only happens once,” said Cuban via TMZ. “So, I’d give the ball to the rookie. With situations like that. I’d take the box score, I’d get his teammates to sign it and I’d frame it for him. Sixty-four is a big deal. It rarely, rarely, rarely happens. And for Giannis it was a big deal, but if it’s my home game, unless the rookie says it’s OK, I’m giving the ball to the rookie.”
It is a fair point that a rookie scoring his first point is something that will only ever happen once. So, giving him the game ball to commemorate the occasion is quite fair. Ultimately, Tshiebwe appears to have received the replacement ball while Giannis got the real thing.
Paul George And The Clippers Are On A Roll
George is returning to his old stomping grounds in Indiana for a game against the Pacers on Monday night. He and the Clippers are rolling as they come into that contest, as they possess the longest active winning streak in the NBA, having won their last seven games.
The Clippers were a laughing stock when they started off 0-5 with James Harden in the lineup, but they have now clicked into gear as a unit. George, who is averaging 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game this season, even missed a game due to injury during this winning streak, but it didn’t matter.
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