A freebie code for chicken wings was scanned by Giannis Antetokounmpo on his phone in the closing moments of the Milwaukee Bucks’ rout of the New Orleans Pelicans, 141–117. The two-time NBA MVP was sitting on the bench as the Bucks’ bench players wasted away and let out loud celebrations after Naji Marshall of the Pelicans missed back-to-back free shots.
With 5:03 left in the fourth quarter and the score at 129-101, Antetokounmpo, 29, entered the game and finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes. Marshall was forced to make two free throws when Milwaukee player A.J. Green fouled him, almost two minutes later.
The Bucks supporters were ecstatic when the New Orleans forward missed the first. If an opponent fails to make both free throws, Fiserv Forum attendees will all get five complimentary Wingstop wings.
With 2:47 left in the game, Marshall missed again, giving the home fans enormous shouts, and those present got their wish. With a towel in his hand, Antetokounmpo sprang off the bench to celebrate and ran behind the baseline.
In just ten seconds, he replaced it with his iPhone and pointed it in the direction of the Jumbotron, which was showing a QR code that supporters could scan to get their free meal. Malik Beasley, a guard for Milwaukee, leaned over to observe his colleague’s actions.
Following Antetokounmpo’s gesture of lowering his arms and returning the phone to what was likely a team staff member, Jae Crowder, who was seated behind him on the bench, celebrated with a towel. But as the Bucks star revealed to reporters in the locker room after the game, he had nothing to be happy about.
Antetokounmpo said, “I wasn’t fast enough, so I couldn’t get the barcode. I didn’t get my chicken.” But maybe Veronica, my mother, or Mariah, Giannis’ fiancée, received some. I can get some in the automobile from them.”
It happens two years after Antetekoumpo showed up to a post-game news conference licking his fingers and clutching a bucket of wings after the Bucks’ 115-99 defeat at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to the Cleveland Cavaliers. As he answered questions from the gathered media, he even consumed a few of them.
Milwaukee is not the only NBA club with a Wingstop deal—the Detroit Pistons, ironically, also have one—even though their wings were not featured in any promotional materials. Fans may get five complimentary boneless wings for their club, but only if they triumph, if it is the Eastern Conference’s bottom team with the lowest record in the league. They didn’t do any of it during their NBA record-setting 28-game losing skid earlier this season.
Since then, the Pistons have triumphed three times, including twice at home to set off the commercial and three times in total at Little Caesars Arena during the regular season. Milwaukee’s victory against Detroit in their two road games earlier this month denied Pistons supporters any more breathing room. Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee in scoring with 31 points each and pulled down ten rebounds both.