Giannis Antetokounmpo Blames Black Eye On Stopping A Robbery

Source: Dylan Buell / Getty

Despite weighing 240 pounds, standing nearly 7 feet tall, and being known for attacking the basket, Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t known for playing bully ball, so when he recently sported a black eye, fans were confused.

The shiner was visible during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 135-133 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, and afterward he told the media he earned the bruise by being a good Samaritan while doing his weekly food shopping —and, of course, no good deed goes unpunished.

“Actually, I was in Pick’ n Save, right?” Antetokounmpo remembered with a smirk. “While I was checking out my groceries, there was this guy who was about to snatch a purse from a lady. So I was like, ‘Hey man, what are you doing? Stop!’ I went and grabbed him, and he kind of turned and elbowed me in the eye.”

The NBA champion’s story didn’t stop there, as he put his three-year $186 million contract extension to good use before heading home.

“But then I grabbed him, put him on the floor, took the purse, gave it to the lady, and the lady was safe. I paid for her groceries too, because she was in shock and stuff,” he adds. “You know, the police came and took the guy… took him into custody. So after that, I just went back home, did some treatment, and took a nap.”

Even with the black eye, he brought his heroics to the court, scoring 26 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out eight assists over the weekend. 

His performance has been an enormous contribution to the Bucks’ overall success, who sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 5-3 record, only behind the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons. It may be early in the season, but it’s a welcome start given the loss of Damian Lillard, who was with them for two seasons but decided to return to the Portland Trailblazers while nursing his torn Achilles. 

We’re unsure if Antekounmpo actually saved a fellow shopper, but social media got a kick out of his elaborate story. See the reactions below.

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