As one of the biggest crowd-pullers in the NBA right now, Giannis Antetokounmpo is known for his emotional outbursts after every point he makes. It is all a part of the game and fans often look forward to it. The passion and thrill he brings to the hardwood are one of the biggest reasons for his popularity. 

However, it looked like the referee during the Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons match had enough of him. After his second technical foul of the game, he was promptly ejected and had to return to the locker room. However, not everyone found this to be fair.

The reason behind Giannis’ rejection

In the third quarter of the game, the Milwaukee Bucks were leading by 11 points with 9 minutes left. Giannis drove coast-to-coast diving past the Pistons’ defenders to eventually make an explosive dunk. Right after that, he was seen making the “too small” gesture to Pistons center, Isiah Stewart. He is not the first to do so, as this is a very common gesture amongst players. However, the referee did not seem to take light of it and ejected the Greek Freak. Fans took to X to vent their frustrations at this move, with many calling the league not fun and saying it was going too soft. 

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This one fan pointed out that this was all a part of the game and the officials are trying to ruin the sport.

Another fan is of the opinion that this is what makes a game competitive and fun to watch.

A brief history of the “too small”

It is by far the most popular and the most disrespectful taunt in the league. It is usually done when a player makes a bucket over a defender and is used to show everyone that they’re “too small” and that the player can’t guard them. Everyone from Russell Westbrook to Chris Paul have used it. In fact Ja Morant employed it just 11 games into his NBA career!

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There have also been individual versions of the taunt. Kevin Durant has always had a size advantage over most of the players in the league. But there was a time when PJ Washington called him “too small” after scoring.

So, if it is such a commonly used move, why is it that Giannis was punished for it? Did the referee make a wrong decision about this? What are your thoughts? Let us know.

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