Shaq Claims Milwaukee Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Had Right to Go Off Against Pacers Over Game Ball

Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ 140-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers, there were some contentious moments. This comes after the Pacers opted to take Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game ball away during his career-high 56-point outburst.

Apparently, Indiana wаnted to give the ball to their rookie, who scored his first NBA points against the Bucks on Wednesday night. Since then, the basketball world has seen some divisive reactions to the incident.

Shaq Takes Side of Milwaukee Bucks Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo

Shaquille O’Neal, the Hall of Fаme center, has weighed in on the dispute. The four-time NBA champion believes the Pacers made a mistake by pulling the ball away from Antetokounmpo:”I think by the letter of the law, if you’re playing at home, you should get the ball in both circumstances,” O’Neal told TMZ Sports (h/t SI’s Jelani Scott). “But, you know, Giannis had every right to be upset.” ‘Hey, we’re in Milwaukee, I just made history, I want the ball,’ says Giannis. And, you know, he chased the ball.”

Shaquille O’Neal looks on before game four between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center on May 23, 2023. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports is required to provide credit.

But not everyone agrees with Shaq. In fact, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, disagreed:”If you have a rookie who has never scored in an NBA game, that’s a big deal that happens only once,” Cuban told TMZ Sports. “… So I’d hand the ball over to the rookie.”The entire city of Milwaukee is likely to disagree with Cuban’s assessment here.