There’s an interesting discussion on Twitter this morning (I know, shocking) in regards to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s post game press conference after Jimmy Butler and the No. 8 seeded Miami Heat took down the No. 1 seeded Bucks in five games in the first round of the NBA playoffs. 

Obviously, in any situation where you have the eighth seed beating the number one seed, that’s a massive upset. It happened at the hands of Jimmy Butler, who was unconscious throughout the series, while putting up two massive performances in Game 4 and 5 to lead the Miami Heat past Giannis and the Bucks.

Butler was incredible Butler averaging 37.6 points in the series, including a 56-point effort in Game 4.

In the Game 5 win last night, he scored 42 points and rallied the Heat to an overtime, series-clinching win.

Miami entered the fourth quarter down 16 points and managed to battle back to send the game to overtime after this incredible shot to tie things up 118-118 with just 2.1 seconds left on the clock.

Jimmy Butler Buzzer Beater to send Game 5 to Overtime

Giannis spoke with the media postgame and was asked a question from a reporter at The Athletic. 

“Do you view this season as a failure?”

He then gave a longwinded answer about how failure in sports “isn’t real” which received high-praise across social media.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Postgame Press Conference

Here’s what Adam Schefter tweeted in response. 

Giannis is outstanding: “There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days, some days you are able to be successful, some days you are not, some days it is your turn, some days it’s not. That’s what sports is about. You don’t always win.”

There’s a lot to unpack here.

A ton of people are praising Giannis while there’s a strong opposition to his answer because he’s refusing to acknowledge the Bucks losing to the Heat as a “failure”. 

First, Giannis is only able to give an answer like that because he already has won an NBA Finals.

He has a ring, so if he wants to talk about seasons where he doesn’t win a championship as part of the journey and building blocks to winning another one, then okay that’s perfectly fine with me. 

Second, the biggest issue with the the entire discussion is the fact that no one is acknowledging how dumb the question was to begin with. Apparently this reporter asks the same question every year? Why? I have no idea because it’s always a bad question to ask when the answer is already known by anyone who was paying attention.

“Hey Giannis, do you think losing to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs was a failure?” 

Like seriously? That’s the question you’re asking an MVP and someone who already has a ring? 

The Bucks were literally the No. 1 seed. They lost to the No. 8 seed. Yes, it was a failure. No shit.

Why? Where’s the benefit?

Everyone already knows it was a failure and one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history.

What more did you want from Giannis here? 

Of course, Giannis was then going to attempt to answer that question without acknowledging that he failed.

That’s what winners do. 

Obviously, there are failures in sports. Why anyone would even attempt to debate that topic is beyond me. Giannis knows that too. 

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