Slapgate 2.0 is not Will Smith-Chris Rock-level dramatic, but the aftermath is the same. Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite his knack for creating viral moments on the court, will go down in Internet infamy for this one. He was caught on cam slapping the head of a teammate, Giannoulis Larentzakis, hard – not in a fun, playful, encouraging or brotherly way. It was a nasty smack that made you gasp. Now that it’s spread, the why lingers. But as shocking as it looked in isolation, the full story tells a very different tale. But before we get to that, his former teammate has a theory.

Jeff Teague played his final season with the Milwaukee Bucks and won his only chip on the back of the Greek Freak-Khris Middleton tandem (sigh, good times). He was the vet but he probably gets Giannis’ intensity. As it always happens on Club 520, he had to react to this viral video.

The video in question shows Antetokounmpo smacking Greece national team’s Giannoulis Larentzakis on the back of his head. They went into huddle immediately and business seemingly went as usual. The visuals though shocked the objective observer.

Teague’s co-hosts had very diverse reactions to it. DJ Wells was in splits watching the video while B Hen called Giannis “lame” for his actions. Teague was those of us having questions. “I’m nothing on a n—- slapping the back of my head like this, bro. And why did they continue talking, bro? It’s five of them, so it’s over.”

Wells wanted to know what prompted Antentokounmpo to react like that. According to him, “we ain’t never seen Giannis be on that… Everybody tells you he’s a cool dude. He doesn’t crash out like that.” 

Teague had a theory. “They’re probably playing some game or something, though, where they’re slapping the back of each other’s heads,” he said. “Because the way he just huddled back, it’s got to be a joke.”

That’s his disbelief talking. The truth is, however, far more deeper than that.

The big why behind Giannis Antetokounmpo Slapgate

As the dust settles, a deeper look into the incident—backed by verified reports, insider accounts, and the players’ longstanding relationship—reveals a story not of conflict, but of camaraderie, humor, and a bond forged over a decade of shared history. The incident occurred during a team huddle following Greece’s exhibition game against Montenegro in Athens.

Giannis, who was sidelined for the match due to ongoing insurance clearance issues with the Milwaukee Bucks, was visibly animated on the bench, engaging with teammates and coaches.
However, a closer examination of the players’ history, additional video angles, and insights from Greek basketball insiders quickly shifted the narrative from controversy to clarity.

To understand the slap, one must first understand the deep-rooted relationship between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Giannoulis Larentzakis. The two have been teammates since 2013, when they competed together for Greece at the EuroBasket U20 Championship in Estonia. Both players, who grew up in Athens, share a connection that predates their professional careers.

Reports confirm they attended the same high school and played together in Greece’s youth basketball circuits, forming a friendship that has endured through years of national team appearances. Greek reporter Harris Stavrou, a respected voice in basketball journalism, was quick to provide context.

In an X post on August 17, 2025, Stavrou wrote, “Antetokounmpo and Larentzakis grew up together. They are playing for Greece since 2013, when they competed in the EuroBasket U20 in Estonia. As you can see, they are having fun together for a very long time.”

Accompanying the post was a video showing a younger Larentzakis playfully slapping Giannis during a previous national team game, showing their reciprocal, lighthearted dynamic. Another angle of the Montenegro huddle, shared by Stavrou and other sources, revealed Larentzakis smiling immediately after the slap, with teammates like Kostas Papanikolaou and Thanasis Antetokounmpo laughing in the background.

This footage, coupled with Stavrou’s commentary, effectively debunked the narrative of hostility. In a separate X post, Stavrou noted in Greek, when translated, reads: “Larentzakis was so annoyed by Antetokounmpo’s slap that he burst into laughter”.

The August 16 incident wasn’t the first time Giannis and Larentzakis have exchanged playful slaps. A video shared by the X account @bballmaniacs_ on August 17, highlighted a moment from years prior when Larentzakis, then a veteran presence, gave a 19-year-old Giannis a similar tap during the EuroBasket U20 tournament, shortly after Giannis recorded a block against Croatia. The caption read, “Lari and Giannis have been giving each other slaps since way back..”

Even Olympiacos star Evan Fournier, Larentzakis’ club teammate, chimed in with humor. On August 16, Fournier posted on X, “If you don’t listen to everything I say next season this is what’s gonna happen,” tagging Larentzakis alongside the viral clip. Fournier’s lighthearted jab further reinforced the notion that the slap was part of the team’s playful dynamic rather than a serious altercation.