The Los Angeles Lakers closed their grueling five-game road trip with an impressive 119-95 win over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Saturday. While it was Luka Doncic who stood out on the court, thanks to his 41-point performance last night, it was the Greek Freak who won everyone’s heart after referees denied rookie Laker, Adou Thiero, what he deserved.

Giannis stepped in and, without speaking a word, took the ball from the Milwaukee Bucks team attendant and handed it to Jarred Vanderbilt. Although the Bucks superstar did not say anything, his massive gesture did all the talking for him. As expected, everyone seemed to appreciate this classy gesture by Antetokounmpo, including rookie Adou Thiero’s father.

He took it to X (formerly Twitter) to express his gratitude toward the two-time MVP. “Thanks Giannis,” Almamy Thiero wrote on a tweet that featured the clip of the entire incident that took place last night after the game. Although Adou Thiero was impressed by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s lovely gesture, the Greek star stated that he only did what he felt was right.

When asked about the entire incident, Giannis said, “I asked Thanasis what was going on, and he was like, ‘they’re not giving the ball to the rookie.’ I don’t know why they weren’t giving the ball. I just grabbed the ball and gave it to the team.” It was a happy ending after all, as Luka Doncic ultimately presented the ball to Thiero, who then expressed his feelings regarding his debut night. But why did the Bucks’ number 34 have to step up?

After the game, the Purple & Gold tried to secure the ball for rookie forward Adou Thiero, who had made his NBA debut and scored his first points, capped by a fierce late dunk. Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed the ball to deliver it to him in the locker room, but crew chief Pat Fraher stepped in, took it back, and handed it to a Bucks attendant instead, leaving the moment hanging.

Then Vanderbilt and a few of the Lakers’ stars followed Fraher to explain the situation. “I went to grab the ball,” Vanderbilt said. “The rookie scored his first points. That’s what happens in the league.” But thanks to Giannis, who helped the rookie get his flowers, who again spoke about how it felt in the debut game.

Adou Thiero expresses his true feelings after scoring his first NBA points

21-year-old Kentucky and Arkansas standout forward Adou Thiero had to wait a while for his NBA debut after the Los Angeles Lakers traded their picks to move up in this season’s NBA Draft. However, on Saturday, Thiero finally announced himself to the basketball world. Although the forward only scored four points, it was his electric dunk that was more than enough to send a message.

Nonetheless, after the game, when he was finally presented with the ball, the youngster couldn’t control his emotions as he went on to showcase his gratitude to his teammates. “At first I didn’t realize it was all for me,” Thiero said. “But I’m very thankful for this team. I think that shows how connected we are and how much we want each other to succeed.”

The rookie was included in the mix after the Lakers suffered two late setbacks as Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura, both, joined the other injured players on the sidelines. While Smart was out with an illness, Hachimura sat this one out with soreness in his left calf. Now, Adou Thiero will hope he can build on his solid debut, as the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz next.