NBA Rescinds Giannis Antetokounmpo's Laughable Triple-Double

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's transparent and comical stat-padding during last night's 117-111 win over the Washington Wizards was all for naught. According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the NBA has officially rescinded Antetokounmpo's controversial 10th rebound, invalidating his triple-double.

The NBA has rescinded Giannis’ 10th rebound last night, which gave him a triple-double, per @ZachLowe_NBA

League rules state that in order for a FG attempt to count, the player must shoot “with intent to score” pic.twitter.com/EvR6AH7KtZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 6, 2023

In the waning seconds of the fourth quarter, Antetokounmpo found himself with possession of the ball underneath his own basket, with the players around him essentially conceding the game. Rather than run out the clock or score, Antetokounmpo halfheartedly tossed the ball against the Wizard's backboard and snatched it back, briefly earning himself a 10th rebound and his fourth triple-double of the season.

Alas, the NBA put its foot down, ruling Antetokounmpo's rebound was not made following a genuine attempt to score and was thus not a field goal attempt. No field goal attempt, no rebound. The moment recalled Ricky Davis's even more hilarious attempt to secure a tenth rebound by throwing the ball up against his own basket.

Stat chasing is nothing new in the NBA, but Antetokounmpo's playful jab at a tenth rebound speaks to the arbitrary emphasis players, media, and fans have placed on the triple-double in particular. In a league where Nikola Jokic appears poised to win a third-straight MVP on the back of averaging a triple-double, can anyone blame Antetokounmpo for trying to get a little bit of extra shine?