Mario Hezonja not only caused a sensation with a poster dark over Giannis Antetokounmpo, but also provoked the Greeks to follow in his footsteps by climbing over the MVP candidate in the style of Allen Iverson. He didn’t think it was funny at all and issued a warning.
“Yes, I will kick him in the balls next time,” Antetokounmpo explained according to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. The scene was reminiscent of the 2001 finals when Allen Iverson climbed over Lakers player Ty Lue after a sunk throw.
But Hezonja didn’t want to make a big deal out of his reaction and didn’t quite understand the excitement either: “If you’re afraid, you shouldn’t play in the NBA,” the Croat said to Steve Popper of Newsday after the game.
“I don’t mean to offend anyone, but if you’re scared, you don’t belong here. You don’t belong in New York and you don’t play for this team.”
The Dunk should remain Hezonja’s only field goal in 12 minutes. Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, 19 rebounds and 7 assists on the other side. The Knicks still won after extension. The next duel between the Knicks and the Bucks will take place on Christmas Day!