The New York Knicks aren’t having a great season, but they’ve been coming to play with energy. The Knicks have some players on the roster most casual fans have never heard of — but it’s a sign of just how good the NBA is that everybody in this league can flat out play. There really are no no-names in the NBA, and you know who really isn’t one of them? Knicks guard Mario Hezonja. That cat threw down a vicious high-flying breakaway slam that MVP candidate Giannis Antetokuonmpo tried to block from behind (see below). Hezonja executed a little poem on the play too. It went: No No Antetokuonmpo. Then he stepped over Giannis on the way back down court, raising his arms and asking the fans to raise their level. Probably not a good idea, but it was fun at the time.
Mario Hezonja stepped over Giannis 😳 pic.twitter.com/OncfwwZ9XJ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 1, 2018
The stepover is a often called a “disrespect” signal, though it’s not always the case. The most famous NBA stepover is Allen Iverson over Tyronn Lue in the NBA Finals, but Iverson says he was just trying to get back, not disrespecting Lue. (You decide — maybe a little bit of each?) Giannis was in Mario Hezonja’s way, but what do you think — disrespect or no? Giannis thought so when asked about it in the postgame. ESPN writes: “Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was vowing vengeance for an act he perceived as disrespect during Milwaukee’s loss to the Knicks on Saturday night in New York.” Hezonja is a 6’8″ Croatian, age 23, in his fourth year in the NBA, his first with New York.
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