Why do they count when Giannis shoots free throws

Whenever Giannis Antetokounmpo heads on the road, he has to deal with rival fans counting every time he’s at the free throw line.

Antetokounmpo is a tremendous talent, but one fatal flaw in his game is his free throw shooting. Giannis is a 71.7 percent career free throw shooter.

That’s not a terrible percentage overall, but the number has dwindled in the postseason and in large moments. Look no further than the final moments of Game 5 against the Phoenix Suns, in which Antetokounmpo missed three straight shots from the charity stripe with the contest on the line.

Giannis free throw percentage

Giannis is a career 71 percent shooter from the line. In 2020-21, he shot 68 percent.

Why do they count when Giannis shoots free throws

Antetokounmpo takes a long time to actually shoot his free throws. Often, he takes longer than the 10 seconds typically given to players to take the shot. Hence, this is why opposing fans have started counting every time Giannis is at the line.

It’s rare for an official to call a violation on Antetokounmpo, though it has happened. We’re going to guess said ref got a call from the league office to swallow his or her whistle in that case.

Giannis does often break rules during his free throw routine. Hence, opposing fans have some fun at his expense.