Giannis Antetokounmpo Clashes With Reporter After Game: ‘If You Don't Wanna Be Here, You Can Leave’

Things got a little testy between Giannis Antetokounmpo and an Associated Press reporter on Friday.

Following the Milwaukee Bucks' 116-94 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Antetokounmpo was speaking with the media when, suddenly, he stopped mid-answer and directed his attention at one reporter.

"If you don't wanna be here, you can leave," the Bucks' big man told him.

Turns out, that reporter was the AP's Pat Pickens, who talked to WISN 12 News on Saturday to give his side of the story. 

According to Pickens, while in the post-game scrum, he had managed to let out a huge, accidental sigh at the most inopportune time — leading Antetokounmpo to believe he was bored or being rude.

"I didn't even realize I did it, apparently, it just happened to hit at the exact wrong time," Pickens said, before jokingly apologizing to the entire city of Milwaukee. "I love watching Giannis. I love covering him. I find Giannis super thoughtful. I think he's one of the great quotes and obviously one of the best players in the sport."

Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his frustration after a 22-point loss to the New York Knicks.

(Brad Penner-Imagn Images)

Pickens didn't take it personally, and he shouldn't. The two-time league MVP was visibly frustrated after the 22-point blowout. And he called out his teammates for their lack of effort during the contest.

"We gotta compete," Antetokounmpo said. "We gotta do a better job competing. At the end of the day, coming to New York, playing the way we're playing, teams will not just give us games. Teams will not feel bad about us and just don't compete.

"We have to come out with the mentality that we have to compete for every possession, one possession at a time, every ball, every loose ball. Whenever the ball is on the floor we gotta get our body on the floor and try to get that ball. Put our body on the line. We gotta do a better job competing. We didn't compete at all."

At 2-7, the Bucks are tied for the third-worst record in the league. They host the defending champion Boston Celtics on Sunday.