Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown did not hide his frustrations towards the supposed preferential treatment that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo received from officials on Friday.
The usually soft-spoken 23-year-old posted a now-deleted IG story showing a photoshopped image of the reigning NBA MVP holding hands with referee Ken Mauer.
Brown also retweeted the screenshot of his post and added a hilarious caption, saying the image was photoshopped. The Celtics youngster also pleaded not to get fined by the league.
This photoshop nba please don’t fine me https://t.co/kZPd0ORnvX
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) August 1, 2020
Giannis Antetokounmpo played with five personal fouls in the closing minutes of the final canto. By the looks of it, he escaped disqualification on two separate occasions after officials rescinded what appeared to be blatant foul calls.
Replays showed Giannis making contact with Daniel Theis' groin area, sending him sprawling to the floor. Upon further review, it was lead referee James Capers who made the call on the floor, justifying that Giannis “did not make a hostile act”.
Article Continues BelowThe Celtics went on to lose a close one, 119-112, dropping to 43-22 (third in the Eastern Conference). We'll never know for sure, but maybe the tides would have turned in Boston's favor had the Greek Freak fouled out on that possession.
Jaylen Brown's teammate Marcus Smart was also understandably furious after the match, boldly claiming that the league “didn't want Giannis out.” The controversial guard will likely be penalized with a fine once more following his comments.
As for Brown, it's likely that the NBA will let his choice of photoshopped image slide. The 6-foot-6 high-leaper contributed 22 points, four boards, one assist and one block in 34 minutes against the Bucks.
However, he struggled mightily shooting the ball, draining just 6-of-15 of his field goals and going 3-for-10 from deep for the Celtics.