Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant Take Turns Trolling NBA Insider Shams Charania

Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo called out Shams Charania's NBA Celebrity All-Star Game performance.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant Take Turns Trolling NBA Insider Shams Charania

Shams Charania (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Shams Charania participated in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, representing Team Giannis.
  • Kevin Durant criticized Charania for checking his phone during the game, highlighting his commitment to insider duties.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo humorously remarked on Charania's performance, noting he did not contribute statistically in the game.

The life of being an NBA insider is not easy, just ask Shams Charania what it is like. It is a 24/7, 365-day grind. But on Friday night, Charania decided to put his insider duties on hold by stepping away from the studio and onto the court for the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California.

For a change, Shams Charania found himself on the other side of the spotlight. The 31-year-old insider represented Team Giannis throughout the contest, with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as the honorary coach. The Greek forward is not participating in the All-Star Game this year due to an injury.

Last year on February 2, Charania broke the news of the blockbuster Anthony Davis – Luka Doncic trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks that shook the NBA world. There have been times where Charania has reported of trades where the players involved in the trade were unaware of it themselves.

On Friday night representing Team Giannis, Charania teamed up with actor Keegan-Michael Key, actor Rome Flynn, Chinese actor and singer Dylan Wang, former NBA player Tacko Fall, social media creator Jenna Bandy, Charlotte Hornets Co-Chairman and Governor Rick Schnall, former NBA champion Jeremy Lin, rapper GloRilla, Brazil soccer legend Cafu, and Detroit Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown.

However, Charania was caught in a viral moment. He was seen checking his phone on the bench during the game. The viral clip caught the attention of Kevin Durant who did not approve of Charania’s actions. Durant posted a photo of the news-breaker along with sharing his thoughts.

My goodness, have some respect @ShamsCharania…during the game??????????

Kevin Durant via X

Charania already had a busy day, reporting on a few key things happening in the league, including Chris Paul‘s announcement of his retirement from the NBA.

Durant is always known for engaging with fans and trolling on social media. The 16-time All-Star will be seen in action on Sunday for the All-Star Game, which has faced criticism over the last few years. Hopefully, the fans will not be left disappointed this time.

Giannis Antetokounmpo speaks on Shams Charania’s game

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been in the trade talks since the offseason. The reports began to catch fire before the trade deadline despite Antetokounmpo reiterating his love for Milwaukee. Charania faced criticism for spreading unsubstantiated rumors about the Bucks looking to trade their icon.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shams Charania
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shams Charania (Image credits – College Football/X)

Antetokounmpo was in his element as coach of the all-star celebrity game in Los Angeles. Team Giannis came out on top, but the honorary coach made sure to get a light jab in on Charania. In a pregame interview, the “Greek Freak” had a blunt assessment of Charania.

You know why it’s not fair? Because I have Shams on my team. He cannot hoop. But, everybody else can hoop.

Giannis Antetokounmpo told after the game

In the end, Antetokounmpo stayed with the Bucks and is committed to the franchise. He has even gone on to say that he hopes to play in Milwaukee for the rest of his career.

Shams Charania’s performance in the Celebrity All-Star Game

Team Giannis eventually secured a narrow 65-58 win over Team Anderson. But despite being on the winning side, Charania’s performance quickly grabbed attention for all the wrong reasons.

Before tip-off, the ESPN insider confidently compared his game to Stephen Curry. Unfortunately, being on the other side was not as easy as Charania may have expected.

Unlike some of Charania’s reports around Antetokounmpo, the former champion’s assessment proved correct. The insider finished 0 for 4 from the field with zero points and four turnovers. He did not record any rebounds or assists as well.

Maybe being engrossed on his phone took a toll on his performance on Friday night. But it did not matter in the end as his team came out on top. Rome Flynn took home the Most Valuable Player award for scoring 17 points along with four assists.

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