Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks’ superstar and two-time NBA MVP, is widely celebrated for his relentless work ethic, and inspiring journey from a street vendor in Greece to an NBA champion. Known as the “Greek Freak,” he’s often portrayed as a humble, likable figure—a family man with a contagious smile and a heartwarming story. But beneath the polished public persona, there have been moments that reveal a less flattering side of Giannis, including the infamous “Laddergate” incident in 2022. This event, paired with other glimpses of his behaviour, raises questions about whether Giannis can sometimes be, well, a pretty nasty person.
Is Giannis a nice person?
On November 18, 2022, after a tough loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center, Giannis found himself at the centre of a viral controversy. Following the game, he returned to the court to practice free throws—a routine he’s known for, given his historically shaky performance from the line. But what unfolded next was anything but routine. Arena workers were setting up for post-game cleanup, and a ladder was positioned near the basket where Giannis wanted to shoot. Frustrated, Giannis approached the ladder and, in a moment of apparent irritation, shoved it over, nearly hitting a staff member in the process. The incident was caught on video and quickly spread across social media, sparking outrage and debate.
To some, it was a minor tantrum from a competitor upset after a loss (the Bucks fell 110-102, and Giannis had shot a dismal 4-for-15 from the free-throw line). To others, it was a disrespectful and entitled act toward hardworking arena staff just trying to do their jobs. The optics were undeniably bad: a multimillionaire athlete knocking over equipment in a fit of pique while minimum-wage workers scrambled to clean up after him.
Giannis later addressed the incident, claiming he felt disrespected by a Sixers staff member who had interrupted his shooting and that the ladder situation escalated from there. He apologized, sort of, saying he’d never intentionally disrespect anyone. But the damage was done. Posts on X at the time captured the public’s mixed reactions—some defended his passion, while others called him out for what they saw as arrogance.
A Pattern of Petulance?
Laddergate wasn’t an isolated incident when it comes to Giannis showing a fiery—or some might say nasty—side. On the court, he’s known for his intensity, which sometimes crosses into questionable territory. He’s been accused of overly physical play, like the 2020 headbutt on Moe Wagner that earned him an ejection, or the occasional elbow that opponents argue isn’t accidental. Off the court, his interactions can carry an edge too. For instance, during the 2021 playoffs, he famously taunted the Brooklyn Nets by counting down their elimination seconds after a Game 7 win, a move that rubbed some fans the wrong way.
More recently, in March 2025, Giannis’s Bucks have been struggling, and his demeanour has reflected that frustration. Reports of tense meetings with coach Doc Rivers and teammate Damian Lillard suggest a player under pressure, and while he’s praised for his leadership, there’s a flip side: a demanding personality that doesn’t always handle adversity with grace. His post-game comments can veer into passive-aggressive territory, like when he downplayed opponents or deflected blame after losses.
The Headbutt Heard ‘Round the League (2020)
One of the most blatant displays of Giannis’s temper came on August 11, 2020, during a game against the Washington Wizards. In the second quarter, Wizards forward Moe Wagner set a screen that Giannis didn’t appreciate—Wagner leaned in, and Giannis responded by charging at him and delivering a deliberate headbutt. The move was so out of character for the typically composed star that it stunned onlookers. Referees immediately ejected Giannis, and he was later suspended for one game by the NBA.
Giannis downplayed it afterward, calling it a “terrible action” and claiming he lost his cool in the heat of the moment. But the incident left a mark. Wagner, for his part, shrugged it off, saying he’d taken worse hits, but fans and analysts weren’t so forgiving. Posts on social media at the time labelled Giannis a “bully” and questioned whether his physicality sometimes crossed into dirty play. It was a rare, ugly glimpse of a player who prides himself on discipline losing control—and taking it out on an opponent in a way that felt personal.
The Nets Taunt in the 2021 Playoffs
During the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Giannis and the Bucks faced off against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in a gruelling seven-game series. The Bucks clinched it in overtime of Game 7, and as the final seconds ticked down, Giannis couldn’t resist rubbing it in. Standing at midcourt, he began counting down from 10, mocking the Nets’ elimination as their season slipped away. The Bucks crowd ate it up, but Nets fans—and some neutral observers—saw it as classless.
Sure, trash talk is part of sports, and Giannis’s antics weren’t exactly vicious. But the glee he took in taunting a beaten opponent, especially after a series where he’d been criticized for his free-throw struggles, struck some as unnecessarily nasty. Durant, ever the stoic, didn’t respond directly, but the moment added fuel to the narrative that Giannis relishes twisting the knife when he’s on top.
Shoving Jaylen Brown (2018)
Rewind to May 2018, during the Bucks’ first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. In Game 4, Giannis got tangled up with Celtics star Jaylen Brown under the basket. As Brown tried to box him out, Giannis responded with a hard shove that sent Brown sprawling to the floor. No foul was called, but the play didn’t go unnoticed. Brown later called it a “dirty play,” and while Giannis avoided any formal punishment, the incident fed into early perceptions of him as a player who could use his size and strength in ways that skirted the line.
At the time, Giannis was still establishing himself as a superstar, and some dismissed it as playoff intensity. But looking back, it’s part of a pattern: when challenged physically, Giannis doesn’t always back down—he pushes back, sometimes literally, and not always with finesse.
The Free-Throw Line Spat with Montrezl Harrell (2022)
Laddergate wasn’t the only drama from that November 2022 night in Philadelphia. Before the ladder incident, Giannis had a run-in with Sixers reserve Montrezl Harrell. After the game, Giannis returned to the court to work on his free throws, only to find Harrell there, refusing to let him shoot. Words were exchanged, and Harrell reportedly took the ball and walked off, escalating the tension. Giannis later vented about it in the press, saying Harrell “came at me” and implying he felt disrespected.
Harrell fired back on Twitter, calling Giannis out for acting entitled and suggesting he wasn’t as tough as he portrayed. The spat didn’t turn physical, but it showcased Giannis’s thin skin when challenged—something that carried over into the ladder shove minutes later. It’s not hard to see how his frustration with Harrell boiled over into a nastier confrontation with the arena staff.
Post-Game Snubs and Passive-Aggressive Jabs
Giannis’s nasty side isn’t always physical—it can show up in his words and demeanour too. After a 2023 playoff loss to the Miami Heat, where the Bucks were upset in five games, Giannis bristled at a reporter’s question about whether the season was a failure. His response—“There’s no failure in sports… Do you get a promotion every year at your job?”—went viral, but it also carried a condescending edge that rubbed some the wrong way. He’s also been known to skip handshakes after losses, like against the Heat in that series, leaving opponents hanging in a move that’s subtle but pointed.
More recently, in the 2024-2025 season, as the Bucks have struggled under Doc Rivers, Giannis has dropped passive-aggressive hints in press conferences. After a March 2025 loss to the Celtics, he remarked, “Some guys gotta step up,” a not-so-veiled shot at teammates like Damian Lillard. While he’s not wrong to demand more, his delivery can come off as petulant rather than inspiring.
The Complexity of Giannis
To be fair, Giannis isn’t a villain. His backstory—growing up in poverty, sharing a single pair of shoes with his brothers, and facing racism as an immigrant in Greece—makes his rise to stardom genuinely admirable. He’s also shown kindness, like his work with the Milwaukee community or his playful interactions with fans. But the Laddergate incident and other moments hint at a temper and ego that don’t always align with the “good guy” narrative the NBA loves to promote.
Maybe it’s not that Giannis is inherently nasty, but that he’s human—flawed, emotional, and occasionally prickly under the weight of immense expectations. The ladder shove wasn’t a calculated act of malice; it was a spontaneous outburst from a guy who hates losing and sometimes lets that get the better of him. Still, it’s hard to excuse the disregard for the workers caught in the crossfire, and it’s those kinds of actions that stick in people’s minds. Maybe Giannis is nasty when he loses , which is human, but due to his low basketball IQ and social awkwardness he doesn’t even know how to react.
What It Means Moving Forward
As of March 28, 2025, Giannis remains a dominant force in the NBA, averaging over 30 points per game and chasing another title with the Bucks. His personal life is thriving too—he and his wife, Mariah Riddlesprigger, are expecting their fourth child. But incidents like Laddergate linger as reminders that even the most beloved athletes have their rough edges. For every highlight reel dunk or heartwarming quote, there’s a chance for a misstep that reveals a less polished side. As his performance dips and he is getting worse at a lot of things (worse free throw percentage in his career, worse 3point percentage in NBA history for a single season this year, etc) he most obviously can’t handle things psychologically.
Fans and critics alike will keep watching Giannis, not just for his jaw-dropping play but for how he handles the spotlight. Can he channel that intensity without letting it spill over into moments of nastiness? Only time will tell. For now, Laddergate stands as a cautionary tale of what happens when passion tips into petulance.
