Watch: Young Sixers fan tricks Giannis into signing autograph

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Young Sixers fan tricks Giannis Antetokounmpo into signing autograph

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated Mar 4, 2023 10:15 PM ET

Acquiring autographs from some of today's larger-than-life athletes can be difficult, but one fan may have figured out a way to game the system.

Ahead of Saturday night's contest between the Sixers and Milwaukee Bucks, cameras caught a young girl dressed in the home team's gear approach star Giannis Antetokounmpo for an autograph. A man of the people, Antetokounmpo obliged, signing the girls' hat. Only, it was all a ruse.

After getting Antetokounmpo's John Hancock, the girl and her partner in crime cracked devilish smiles as they scampered back to their seats. Then, the unthinkable. The girl removed her Bucks shirt to reveal a Sixers jersey underneath.

Young Sixers fans trick Giannis into giving them an autograph pic.twitter.com/qTj1dSsKaN
— dave (@nbadaves) March 5, 2023

While no one should encourage deceitful behavior from our youth, the young fan deserves applause for her unique thinking.

The plan worked flawlessly, but pulling the wool over Antetokounmpo's eyes was probably unnecessary. The 28-year-old is essentially a big kid in a very grown man's body. He's one of the league's nice guys, so it's unlikely he'd turn down anyone for an autograph, regardless of what team they support.

Seemingly kind to everyone, Antetokounmpo only furthered his reputation during a recent appearance on "The Daily Show." Earlier this week, Antetokounmpo could not get through a series of scripted jokes aimed at his NBA rivals without immediately complementing them.

After roasting Kevin Durant with a "super team" joke, Antetokounmpo simply couldn't stomach coming off as a bad guy. Finding the camera first, Giannis praised Durant.

"KD, you're one of the best scorers to ever play this game," Antetokouonmpo said. "I respect your game. You lead by example for 15 years. You were my favorite player growing up."

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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