Giannis gives his side of 'unfortunate' ladder scene

PHILADELPHIA -- Following Milwaukee's 110-102 loss to Philadelphia astatine Wells Fargo Center connected Friday night, a unusual country unfolded betwixt Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, 76ers reserve halfway Montrezl Harrell and a ladder, culminating with Antetokounmpo pushing a 12-foot ladder retired of his mode and having it skid a fewer feet earlier falling implicit connected its side.

"I've ne'er tried to disrespect anyone successful immoderate way, signifier oregon form," Antetokounmpo said erstwhile helium yet spoke, much than an hr aft the crippled ended. "I consciousness similar contiguous is conscionable an unfortunate lawsuit that took place."

What acceptable each of these events successful question was a 2nd consecutive dreadful crippled astatine the escaped propulsion enactment for Antetokounmpo, who went 4-for-15 from the foundation stripe connected Friday -- aft going 4-for-11 successful Wednesday's triumph implicit the Cleveland Cavaliers.

So, aft going backmost to the locker country pursuing Friday night's game, Antetokounmpo came backmost retired to the tribunal to signifier immoderate escaped throws.

It was astatine that point, however, that things took a precise unusual turn.

After Antetokounmpo made 7 escaped throws successful a enactment -- portion of his regular of making 10 successful a enactment each clip helium steps onto the tribunal -- and had changeable his eighth, Harrell took the shot distant and wouldn't springiness it backmost -- seemingly upset that Antetokounmpo was preventing him from getting successful his ain enactment up of Philadelphia playing the 2nd fractional of a back-to-back against the Minnesota Timberwolves connected Saturday night.

"I respect each player," Antetokounmpo said. "I cognize immoderate players don't play now, they privation to get immoderate other work, privation to enactment connected their skills and stuff, and I said, evidently we tin sprout together. They said, they told maine no, this is their court, I should leave. I was like, I person 3 much escaped throws, I was astatine seven, I privation to effort to marque 10 successful a row. I changeable my eighth one. Came and took the shot distant from maine and I was precise surprised. I consciousness similar it's precise unprofessional. I would ne'er instrumentality the shot distant from a nonrecreational jock erstwhile he's trying to bash his job."

Thanasis Antetokounmpo past went and tried to talk to Harrell astatine the different extremity of the court, starring to different treatment and Harrell leaving with the ball. By the clip reporters were alert of what had happened, Harrell had near the locker room. The 76ers enactment besides declined to connection remark astir what happened.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said helium past went and got 2 much balls from Philadelphia's locker country and came backmost retired to the court, hoping to decorativeness his routine. By that time, however, arena workers had enactment a ample ladder up successful beforehand of the basket.

"I went backmost retired determination to sprout and determination was a ladder successful beforehand of me," Antetokounmpo said. "And I said, 'Can you delight determination the ladder? And they said, 'No.' I said, 'Can you guys delight determination the ladder?' They said, 'No.' I was like, 'Guys, I person 2 much escaped throws, tin you delight determination the ladder?' And they said, 'No.'

At that point, Antetokounmpo walked from the escaped propulsion enactment to the basket, and moved the ladder retired of the way. When arena workers past moved the ladder backmost successful beforehand of the handbasket again, Antetokounmpo shoved it retired of the way, and aft it skidded respective feet, it tipped implicit and fell connected its side.

He past went connected to decorativeness his regular and went backmost to Milwaukee's locker room, wherever helium was visibly upset astir what had happened, earlier yet talking to reporters awhile later.

"I don't cognize if I should apologize due to the fact that I don't consciousness similar I did thing wrong, but the ladder conscionable fell. I consciousness similar it's my close for maine to enactment connected my skills aft a horrible nighttime astatine the escaped propulsion line. I deliberation anybody successful my presumption that had a nighttime similar maine would spell retired and enactment connected his escaped throws. And if they didn't, they don't truly attraction astir their game."

Giannis Antetokounmpo

"At the extremity of the day, radical are going to marque things look the mode they privation it to look," Antetokounmpo said of the video of him pushing the ladder. "Did I mean to propulsion the ladder each the mode down? I wholly did not. I conscionable tried to, I deliberation I pushed it and it got caught and fell. But radical are going to marque it look the mode they privation it to look.

"I cognize what happened. I deliberation there's cameras each implicit this court. We tin amusement the full incidental from radical coming and getting the ball, radical getting successful my face. I don't privation to get into each those things.

"I don't cognize if I should apologize due to the fact that I don't consciousness similar I did thing wrong, but the ladder conscionable fell. I consciousness similar it's my close for maine to enactment connected my skills aft a horrible nighttime astatine the escaped propulsion line. I deliberation anybody successful my presumption that had a nighttime similar maine would spell retired and enactment connected his escaped throws.

"And if they didn't, they don't truly attraction astir their game."

Antetokounmpo besides said that helium believes his estimation precedes him, and that helium wouldn't disrespect anyone successful the league -- nor, helium said, was helium trying to bash here.

"At the extremity of the time I deliberation everybody knows my character," helium said. "I deliberation the radical that cognize my quality cognize I ne'er effort to disrespect anybody wrong the NBA, wrong my coaching staff, wrong the opposing team. I respect with the champion words astir immoderate subordinate whenever I've been asked. Or I've ne'er disrespected an hostile manager oregon a coaching staff. Or whenever I sprout and decorativeness my routine, from my rookie twelvemonth until now, I ever shingle each shot boys manus and marque definite I convey them for the enactment I bash due to the fact that I cognize it's hard to bash their occupation chasing balls implicit and implicit and implicit again and marque definite they're OK. I bash it for my shot boys and shot girls successful Milwaukee. They assistance america erstwhile we sprout and I effort to bash it connected the road, too., I've been known for this."

When asked astir the happening that started each of this -- his mediocre escaped propulsion shooting the past 2 games, and what was causing it -- Antetokounmpo had a elemental answer.

"I'm conscionable not making them," helium said with a shrug. "Simple arsenic that. I don't deliberation there's nary issue. The shot is not going in."