Giannis Antetokounmpo's Former Teammate Says He Never Played With A Superstar Like James Harden

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Giannis Antetokounmpo's Former Teammate Says He Never Played With A Superstar Like James Harden originally appeared on Fadeaway World.
Giannis Antetokounmpo went viral on social media after he slapped his teammate in the back of the head during a timeout in Greece's match at EuroBasket. Jeff Teague, his former Bucks teammate, addressed the viral incident on the Club 520 podcast's most recent episode.
While Teague was stumped that Antetokounmpo's teammate allowed him to do that, he pondered whether there was an ulterior reason for this incident.
"Oh my god. He slapped the sh... I have nothing on a n**** slapping that back of my head without nothing... And why did they continue talking? It's five of them, so it's over."
"I was like, golly, when I saw I was crying, bro... They're probably playing some game or something where they're slapping the back of each other's heads or something. I mean, just the way he huddled back up, it's got to be a joke or something."
Teague was convinced that Antetokounmpo did not do that out of hostility and believes there must be an internal joke or something associated with this incident.
"That was funny. I laughed hard as f**k when I saw that," continued Teague.
'He's super cool… Wouldn't have been me, though. See how I looked at him when he was coaching, like, 'Yeah, n***a let me get up that seat and watch out,' said Teague hilariously.
Teague's co-host on the show went on to compare the situation to what Austin Rivers said about James Harden's superstar status in Houston. He explained how Rivers claimed that James Harden could even supersede the coach in his time with the Rockets under Mike D'Antoni. He claimed that even Mike D'Antoni wanted players to listen to Harden.
'Yeah, I've never played on a team with a super superstar like James Harden. Like he's going to do whatever play he wants, I ain't never played on a team like that," said Teague.
Teague and Antetokounmpo were teammates in his final NBA season (2021), where the Bucks went on to win the championship. But Teague's words seem to indicate that, despite the two MVP awards before winning the championship, Antetokounmpo had not gained the superstar recognition inside the Bucks like Harden had with the Rockets.
At the time, other veteran players like Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton were also on the Bucks. Therefore, Teague believes Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have the "super" superstar status at the time, as he could not dictate the plays and team strategy like Harden could.
While Teague might be right in terms of the team dynamic, he may not have taken the best comparison here, especially considering how Antetokounmpo and Harden feel about each other.
James Harden And Giannis Antetokounmpo's Rivalry
It all started when Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first MVP Award for the 2019 regular season over James Harden. Harden led the league in scoring as he drove the Rockets to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference that year (53-29) while averaging 36.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds.
In comparison, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference that year (60-22) while averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists. Harden believed that he was snubbed for the award despite making NBA history for scoring average in a single season.
While Antetokounmpo and Harden have shared tension in the past, Giannis seems to have let that baggage go and gave Harden the flower he deserves. But if he hears his former teammate say he hasn't played with a superstar like James Harden, it may not sit well with him.This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.