Playoff rivalry TRIGGERED Miami Heat to ban players from wearing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s sneakers, reveals Tyler Herro
Tyler Herro claims the Miami Heat have banned the team from wearing Giannis Antetokounmpo's sneakers since first meeting in the playoffs in 2020
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Giannis Antetokounmpo
Tyler Herro feels the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat playoff rivalry has led to players banning Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s show in the locker room. The Heat and the Bucks face off for the third time in the playoffs since 2020, with Miami winning in 2020 and Milwaukee in 2021. Milwaukee bounced back after a shock defeat in game 1 with a convincing 138-122 win in game 2.
“Tyler Herro said the Heat banned Giannis Antetokounmpo’s sneakers from everyone’s feet several years ago when they faced the Bucks in the playoffs,” The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov wrote. Their first matchup in 2020 saw Giannis get hurt and miss game 5, where Miami wrapped up the series on their way to the NBA Finals; however, in 2021, the tables turned as the Bucks swept the Heat in the first round on their way to an NBA Championship.
Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem gave his take on the situation, saying – “I don’t know why guys don’t look at that as seriously as they used to; at the end of the day, I guess it really doesn’t matter. If the opponent doesn’t look at it that way, then it really doesn’t matter.” Haslem has been with Miami since the early 2000s and witnessed their rivalry against the likes of the Boston Celtics during the 2010s.
Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Game 2 and is still a doubt for Game 3
The Greek Freak has been an MVP candidate for the Bucks this season, and his injury in game 1 had all Bucks fans tensed about how long he will be gone. About how long he will be gone, Giannis suffered a back contusion in game one, and head coach Mike Budenholzer said that he would remain questionable and is improving every day in hopes of a speedy return. The star was injured after Kevin Love tried to take charge under the basket and clattered into Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks, however, are familiar with winning without Antetokounmpo in the playoffs, as they did in 2021. Giannis hurt his knee in the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, and the Bucks ended up winning the series against the underdog Atlanta Hawks with Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton stepping up. Giannis has missed four playoff games for the Bucks, and they are 3-1 in those games.
Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game during the regular season. The Bucks were 47-16 when he played against 11-8 without him. Giannis was also the only player in the league to average at least 30 points, ten rebounds, and five assists per game. The Milwaukee Bucks will hope their superstar will return for this series, and with his past recovery rate, it looks likely.
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)