Back after three weeks of absence, Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who made a pointless dunk two seconds before the buzzer on Saturday, caused a commotion on the court of the United Center in Chicago where the Bucks had just won (112-103).

He wanted a jolt of energy and decided to give it to him himself. After missing the Bucks' last eight games (due to a pulled right calf muscle), and with them plummeting in the standings (2-6 in his absence, 13-19, 11th in the East), Giannis Antetokounmpo was highly motivated on Saturday. He surged up the court, where the entire team was waiting for the final buzzer, to slam dunk with a windmill dunk over the empty basket in Chicago (112-103).

This gesture immediately sparked an altercation, with the two teams exchanging insults and barbs at center court, just as the Wisconsin team had ended the Bulls' five-game winning streak (15-16), putting them ninth in their conference. Amidst the numerous trade rumors surrounding him, and as he was finally returning to the court, Antetokounmpo was on fire (29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 8 rebounds in 25 minutes) and wanted to send a message. This message was directed more at his teammates than at Chicago.

“He shouldn’t have dunked that ball,” said Bulls guard Coby White, who was involved in the heated exchange after the buzzer. “It’s disrespectful to us and to the game. I told him, ‘Bro, you’re better than that.’ The game was over. Why do something like that?” His teammate Nikola Vucevic (16 points) went further: “I imagine he was angry about the rumor that the Bulls didn’t want to make a trade to get him.”

“We are not champions. Why should we wait until the clock runs out, or show respect or fair play? We are fighting for our survival right now.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks winger

The player himself addressed the incident after the game. "We're 11th in the East," he explained after the victory, in comments reported by ESPN. "We have to keep working to find our identity. And if that means being a little aggressive or scrappy in the end, so be it. We're not champions. Why should we wait until the clock runs out, be respectful, or play fair? We're fighting for our survival right now. It's very tough. I've been in the league for 13 years. If we keep losing, half the team probably won't be here next year. We won't make the playoffs. Ultimately, I just want to stay healthy and help my team win. If it takes a windmill dunk for everyone to wake up and understand, so be it." Milwaukee travels to Charlotte on Monday for its next game.