Bucks Zone

Bobby Portis Jr. gets ejected from the game vs. the Indiana Pacers for defending Giannis Antetokounmpo

Bobby showed why he is a beloved figure of the Bucks organization.

Jonas Panerio

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

Bobby Portis Jr. is beloved in Milwaukee for his shotmaking, toughness, and, most of all, loyalty to his teammates. He showed this again during a heated match-up against the Indiana Pacers when he got in the face of Aaron Nesmith not long after the Pacers forward fouled the Milwaukee Bucks' superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo hard early in the fourth quarter.

Indiana Pacers center Aaron Nesmith (23) helps Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) after a foul i
Nesmith after fouling Giannis / © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Got everybody's back

At the 10:18 mark of the fourth quarter, an incident took place when Giannis was aggressively driving toward the rim, trying to take a shot while being defended by Nesmith. As Antetokounmpo was getting ready to get up for a layup, Aaron grabbed him around the shoulders and yanked him down to the ground.

This obviously did not sit well with Portis, who immediately confronted Nesmith, earning a technical foul as officials considered him to be the "escalator of the activity that followed the foul."After the game, 

Portis talked about the incident and said he was looking out for his teammates. He added he would do the same thing for every member of the team, whether it was a superstar like Giannis or the 15th man on the roster.

"I mean, just all my teammates, man. I'm just here for everybody, man," Portis said.

Cheers for Bobby

As Portis continued to jaw with Nesmith, the Fiserv Forum erupted with cheers of "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby!" from the Bucks fans, who appreciated the veteran's willingness to stand up for his teammates.

"I got everybody back no matter what it is, no matter what time of day it is. It could be 3 in the morning, you call me, I'm up. I'm ready. It don't matter what day of the week it is, who we playing, wherever it is, I always got everybody's back," the veteran forward asserted.

"I'm always there for my teammates. I got everybody's back no matter what day of the week it is."

Not long after that incident, Portis got called for a technical foul as he and Pacers forward Obi Toppin got into a verbal altercation. Portis finished the night with 19 points in 23 minutes of action.

Controversy erupts as Giannis chases game ball straight into the Pacers' locker room

Published
Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO