The Celtics narrowly missed out on Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2013 NBA Draft. Instead, they opted for Kelly Olynyk, facilitating a draft night trade with the Mavericks for the No. 13 overall pick.
Of course, Giannis was selected at No. 15.
But Danny Ainge had his eyes on the Greek Freak. The Celtics’ former GM went all the way to Greece to scout Giannis prior to the NBA Draft, but the trip didn’t go smoothly. Ainge encountered some hostile fans, who first heckled him because they thought he was an opposing general manager, and continued to verbally harass him once they found his identity.
The Ringer’s Mirin Fader shared the story on a recent podcast with NBA Insider A. Sherrod Blakely. She is promoting her upcoming book titled, “Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP.”
“One of my favorite interviews was actually learning about the Celtics’ interest in Giannis and traveling to Greece,” she said. “He came to a road game in a place called Volos. The fans were heckling him. They don’t know who he is at first. They think Danny Ainge is an opposing Greek (GM).
“Then they find out he’s Danny Ainge, and then they start screaming insults and curses, and then they start screaming ‘Lakers,’ and then he realizes they’re making fun of him because they realize he’s Danny Ainge.”
That’s quite a story, and maybe one that forever changed the course of NBA history. Imagine how unstoppable Giannis and Tatum would be together.
But at least Olynyk has a sweet ponytail. That’s worth something, right?
He signed a four-year contract with the Heat in 2017.