Giannis Antetokounmpo posted ‘tired of the disrespect’ after being snubbed off NBA all-defensive teams

Just hours after the NBA announced the All-Defensive Teams for this 2022/23 campaign, Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a cryptic message on his Instagram account that makes us believe he’s fed up with not being included in the awards, and is stacking up fuel for next season.

The Bucks foward left a short, but strong message using language that is unusual coming from him. “I’m tired of the disrespect. I’m coming,” Antetokounmpo wrote this Tuesday on social media.

I’m tired of the disrespect. I’m coming. pic.twitter.com/eMRPb6kbLJ

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) May 9, 2023

Either he’s referencing the fact that he wasn’t voted to the NBA’s all-defensive teams or maybe even a reaction over the criticism he’s recieved after he said that his team’s shocking early playoff exit wasn’t a failure.

The truth is, his post quickly went viral and the internet went into a meltdown trying to decipher what’s the meaning behind his somewhat angry statement. Is it a threat? A promise?

It seems most of his fans on social media believe we will start to see less of the charismatic and funny Giannis next season, and we’ll have to get used to a new, more serious, angry athlete as he chases his desire to become a NBA champion for a second time in his career.

Antetokounmpo had been part of the All-Defensive team every single year since the 2016/17 campaign except for one season, and this season he finished with 16 first-team votes and 28 for second team, but wasn’t enough to enter either of these notable squads.

Even though he didn’t make it, Milwaukee was well-represented by two first-teamers Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez. Curious enough, the superstar was sixth in defensive player of the year voting this tournament, but that award is separate from the all-defensive teams.

Players around the NBA defended Antetokounmpo after his playoffs-exit remarks on failure

“It’s not a failure,” Antetokounmpo said a couple of weeks ago after the Heat eliminated the Bucks in the first round. “It’s steps to success. There’s always steps to it. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships, The other nine years [were] a failure? That’s what you’re telling me.”

In the latest episode of Paul George’s “Podcast P”, Timberwolves’ Karl Anthony-Towns joined the Clippers star and talked about Giannis’ controversial statements over failure.

“I only say [our season is] a failure because we made these big trades and stuff to succeed in the playoffs, and the fact we didn’t make it out [of the] first round, obviously it’s a failure for us because we want to win a championship,” Towns said.

“We want to have a chance. I think that, you know, [Giannis] is right in what he says in that you never fail,” he continued. “The fact that we went out there and gave it all we had and things didn’t work out doesn’t mean you’re a failure, it just means it wasn’t your year. There’s always going to be 29 teams that it’s not their year. For me, personally, I just had goals that were set. I set at bare minimum for us to make the second round.”