Kendrick Perkins calls the ejection of Giannis Antetokounmpo “horrible”

Calls like this are bad for the NBA.

© Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Wednesday evening did not go as he planned as he got ejected from the game after getting slapped with his second technical foul for what game officials deemed as a “taunting violation.” The play happened early in the third quarter when Giannis posterized Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart then stared him down for a second before getting back on defense.

Unfortunately for Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks, referee Scott Twardoski blew his whistle and signaled for a technical foul to be called on the former, thereby ending his night. Antetokounmpo incurred his first technical foul in the first half.

NBA analyst and former champion Kendrick Perkins vehemently disagreed with the call, calling it “horrible.”

Passion personified

Giannis is as low-key a superstar off the floor as you will find. But on the court, it’s a different story altogether. He wears his heart on his sleeve and plays with a burning passion. Perkins argued that Antetokounmpo’s reaction to the ferocious slam was natural and should not have been punished.

“This is horrible,” Perkins said when footage of the play was shown on screen.

“This is about passion. That's what Giannis plays with and no way you supposed to eject a superstar just for doing that,” Perkins continued.

Emotional game

Kurt Helin of NBC Sports also shared his take, explaining that playing basketball at the NBA level takes a lot of emotion to execute, which should be welcomed, not curtailed.

“Basketball at the highest level should be an emotional game played with passion — that’s what we fans want to see. If anything, we need more of that intensity in the game, not less,” Helin wrote.

“What are we doing here? Are we going to hit Russell Westbrook up with a technical for rocking the baby, or Stephen Curry when he goes “night night” after a big shot? What about every player who does the “too small” gesture?” Helin argued.

Referee crew chief explains Giannis Antetokounmpo’s two technical fouls