Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s free throw routine has drawn a lot of criticism over the past couple of weeks. In their matchup against the Lakers, Russell Westbrook was visibly upset about the amount of time Giannis was taking. Other players and coaches have gotten upset about this as well and one NBA owner decided to formally complain. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban revealed he complained to the league office about Giannis.
Also, Cuban says Mavs called NBA about Giannis taking more than allowed 10 seconds to shoot FTs in teams’ 1st meeting 2 weeks ago. NBA told Mavs it would be called but in Friday’s rematch Giannis took up to 12 seconds. “I have no idea why they didn’t do that in a 1-point game.” https://t.co/MKSbTH23TK
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) December 12, 2022
Mark Cuban Complains About Giannis
The Dallas Mavericks owner talked to reporters on Monday and revealed that he talked to the league office after the two teams met on November 27. He said that the NBA replied that they would be enforcing the ten-second rule on Giannis moving forward. The two teams met again last Friday and Cuban apparently came with his stop-watch. He claims that Giannis was regularly taking 12 seconds to shoot. “I have no idea why they didn’t [call] that in a one-point game,” Cuban said. Cuban was clearly looking for the NBA to call something on Giannis, especially in a tight game.
Cuban Should Worry About His Own Team
Let’s acknowledge that Giannis does need to make sure his free throw routine is following the ten-second rule. With that said, Cuban should worry about his own team. They are not losing because Giannis is taking 12 seconds to shoot a free throw. The Mavericks missed six straight free throws to end Friday’s game against the Bucks. Those six points would have made a big difference in a one-point game. Dallas has been underachieving all year due to underperforming players. Instead of worrying about Giannis’ free throw routine, Cuban should worry about his team.
I’m sure Cuban will not be the last person to complain to the league office about Giannis. The Bucks have a great team and Giannis is borderline unstoppable. It makes sense that teams are trying to poke meaningless holes in any way they can. This will be drama to watch throughout the season and whether Giannis starts to get penalized or not.
Follow me on Twitter at @sorcerermatt, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here!