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"I don’t know what’s going on with Giannis!" - Giannis Antetokounmpo surprised LeBron James in the NBA All-Star Draft

Giannis Antetokounmpo was one of the stars of the night.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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There was a supposed prior agreement that Giannis Antetokounmpo would choose his Milwaukee Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday to be a part of Team Giannis on Sunday night’s NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City. While Giannis did just that, the Greek Freak still left some people surprised with the order of his picks.

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Picking Dame

LeBron James, the captain of the West All-Star, was left dumbfounded by Giannis’ move just because he expected Holiday to be on top of the Greek Freak’s list.

“I already know the first pick,” James said before Antetokounmpo announced his first pick from the All-Star reserves pool.

Antetokounmpo, however, selected Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers as his first pick, leaving not only James but also Ernie Johnson surprised.

“That surprised me too,” said Johnson, who presided over the proceedings.

After hearing Antetokounmpo’s first pick, James was quick to remark: “Giannis has changed this weekend.”

James said he was so sure that Antetokounmpo would pick Holiday ahead of everyone else.

“You know, he (Giannis) always talked about loyalty, and being loyal, all that stuff. I knew for sure his first pick was going to be Jrue. I don’t know what’s going on with Giannis. He messed up my whole draft board up now,” James quipped.

Still holding up to his promise

James then selected Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves as his first pick before Antetokounmpo chose Holiday as his second pick.

“He’s a great leader, and he is also a great basketball player. He leads us offensively, moves the ball for us. Puts us in the right spots. Defensively he’s a nightmare,” Giannis said of Holiday.

Team Giannis went on to defeat Team LeBron, 184-175, giving Antetokounmpo his first win against James in three meetings in which they served as team captains for their respective teams.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.