Former NBA head coach rips Giannis Antetokounmpo

This time around, it’s former NBA head coach Sam Mitchell who’s decided to go on an unfiltered rant aimed at the Bucks talisman. For his part, Mitchell took exception to how Giannis opted not to guard Jimmy Butler in the Heat series. The fact that Antetokounmpo did not take on the responsibility of guarding the opposing team’s best player did not sit well with the former Minnesota Timberwolves shot-caller, who shared his thoughts on Sirius XM NBA Radio (h/t Gautam Varier of Fadeaway World).

“This is the second time in a playoff loss that people are questioning why you weren’t guarding the other team’s best player. And you sit there with the same answer, ‘Well, the coach didn’t put me on him.'

“But yet you can come to the press conference and make all these demands. And say, ‘If this don’t happen.’ Well, what about in the series? When you could have done something about the game. When you could have said, ‘Hey coach, I got Jimmy.’ Where was all that then?”

Mitchell went as far as saying that he does not want to hear any of Giannis’ excuses after what he showed us during their very disappointing first-round exit in the playoffs.

“I don’t want to hear all that,” Mitchell added. “In the time to step up to be a star, you got quiet. What you talking for now?”

Mitchell isn’t the first person to criticize Antetokounmpo  this offseason. Giannis has been hearing it all summer, which is to be expected when you're the star and leader of a team who saw its season end the way the Bucks' did. Perhaps this will all add fuel to the fire for Giannis and the Bucks heading into the 2023-24 season.