Mike Dunleavy and Giannis Antetokounmpo might be linked in trade talks now, but their history goes back to a very different kind of connection-one that involved a hard foul, a playoff blowout, and a young star learning the ropes of NBA intensity.
The year was 2015, and the Chicago Bulls were dismantling the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series. Chicago had built a 30-point lead in the second quarter when things got physical-fast.
Mike Dunleavy, then a veteran wing for the Bulls, pulled up for a three in transition. Giannis, just 20 years old at the time and still raw but brimming with potential, sprinted down the floor and delivered a late, hard shot to Dunleavy’s midsection.
It was a clear frustration foul-well after the release-and it sent Dunleavy sprawling into the courtside seats.
The officials didn’t hesitate. Flagrant 2. Ejection.
That moment marked a flashpoint in a game that had already started to boil. Earlier, Dunleavy had caught Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams in the face on a drive.
And just before the flagrant, Giannis had hit the deck after a physical post-up against Dunleavy. It was playoff basketball at its most raw-emotions running high, young players trying to prove themselves, veterans trying to assert dominance.
For Giannis, it was a learning moment. The NBA handed him a one-game suspension without pay, which he served on opening night the following season. But it didn’t leave a lasting scar-at least not for Dunleavy.
“I got no issues with the guy,” Dunleavy said after the series. “Nice kid, young kid, going to be a really good player. Doesn't change my feeling on wanting to get over to Mykonos.”
That was nearly 11 years ago. Since then, Giannis has blossomed into a two-time MVP and NBA champion.
Dunleavy has transitioned from player to front office executive, now serving as general manager for the Golden State Warriors. And now, in a full-circle twist, the two could be teammates of sorts-if the Warriors’ reported interest in trading for Antetokounmpo becomes reality.
Of course, that’s a big “if.” But it’s a fascinating wrinkle in the buildup to Thursday’s trade deadline. The NBA is full of long memories and unexpected reunions, and this one would be particularly rich-two players once on opposite ends of a playoff blowout, potentially joining forces in a high-stakes push for another title.
Time has a funny way of changing things. What started as a hard foul in a lopsided game might end up as the spark for something far more collaborative.