Fake handshake and 'Giannis is a child' remark

During the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics matchup on November 10, 2024, a play in which Giannis Antetokounmpo was whistled for an offensive foul after elbowing Jaylen Brown produced a contentious on-court gesture that circulated widely on social media and national outlets [2][1]. As the two players jogged back upcourt following the whistle, Giannis extended his hand for a handshake, then pulled it back, ran his hand through his hair, and smiled; Brown initially reached but ultimately refused the later offered real handshake, according to game video and postgame reporting [2]. ESPN published a short video clip documenting the sequence, which shows the elbow, the fake-handshake pullback, and Giannis' subsequent real handshake offer later in the sequence [2]. In his postgame comments, Brown said, "Giannis is a child. I'm just focused on helping my team get a win, and that's what we did tonight" [1]. Giannis defended the gesture in his own postgame remarks, saying, "We always joke around with the flow of the game. It's something that I do to my kids, I play around. This is who I am. I play the game with fun, joy" and indicating he would do it again [1]. Coverage noted a flagrant foul was later called on Brown during the same contest, and multiple outlets—ESPN, CBS Sports and NBC Sports—published articles and embedded video clips that amplified the moment nationally [1][2][5][6].

The Nov. 10, 2024 fake-handshake incident is significant because it combined clear visual evidence with a concise postgame put-down from Jaylen Brown, creating a highly shareable moment that revived and amplified the historical arc between Brown and Giannis dating back to 2019 and the 2022 Christmas Day exchange [2][1][3]. The incident revealed differing interpretations of intent—Giannis framed the action as playful, Brown framed it as disrespectful—and demonstrated how short on-court gestures can become focal points for ongoing interplayer narratives and media coverage [1][2][6].

Following the game, video clips circulated across social platforms and were embedded in national articles, increasing public attention on the players' dynamic [2][6]. Brown's line "Giannis is a child" was quoted repeatedly in coverage, and Giannis' defense that the gesture was a joke he plays with his children was also widely reported [1][5][6]. The episode did not produce a new league suspension for either player beyond the in-game foul rulings noted in reports, but it reinforced the pattern of on-court friction and public comment that observers trace to the 2019 and 2022 incidents [1][2][3].