Giannis' funny rant against Jayson Tatum before All-Star game 180

Giannis did not forget the sting of their 2022 playoff defeat as he joked around with Jayson Tatum before the All-Star game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum have had plenty of postseason battles. In 2018, the Boston Celtics vanquished the underperforming Milwaukee Bucks. The following year, the Bucks returned the favor, defeating the underperforming Celtics. And then in 2022, the Celtics and the Bucks fought their best playoff series against each other yet, resulting in a seven-game bloodbath that ended in a Boston victory.

Surely enough, Antetokounmpo has not forgotten the sting of their 2022 playoff defeat.

Settling into the festive atmosphere of the All-Star weekend, Giannis Antetokounmpo joked around with playoff rival Jayson Tatum, saying that he wouldn't dare select the Celtics forward for Team Giannis after he was the one to drive the final nail in the coffin of the Bucks' playoff run last season.

“This guy sent me home last year. What you guys think? You guys think I'm gonna pick him? Hell nah,” Antetokounmpo said with a wry smile on his face. “He my last pick!”

https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsApp/status/1628246772324925442

In the end, Giannis Antetokounmpo selected Jayson Tatum with his first pick of the All-Star starters. quite the turnaround from his “last pick” declaration. Of course, Giannis' Tatum pick worked out like a charm.

Tatum was scorching hot during the All-Star game, nabbing MVP honors in the process; he finished with 55 points – an All-Star game record – after shooting 22-31 from the field and 10-18 from deep. Tatum's incredible performance included an All-Star record 27 points in a quarter as Team Giannis ran away with the victory to end Team LeBron's five-year reign.

Perhaps Giannis Antetokounmpo just didn't want Jayson Tatum to hold a grudge against him (and by extension, the Bucks), like Tatum said he would if Giannis didn't pick him. After all, the Bucks and Celtics appear to be on a collision course for a playoff rematch, with both teams looking like a class above most of the Eastern Conference opposition.

The Bucks and Celtics have one more matchup against each other on March 30. With the matchup being as late as it is in the season, it doesn't seem like these two teams would face each other with their full strength lineups. Nonetheless, a matchup between Antetokounmpo and Tatum is always must-see. Hopefully, the playoff seeding still matters at that point to motivate both teams to put out a marvelous contest for everyone to see.