On Sunday, Giannis Antetokounmpo launched his 6-foot-11 frame toward the hoop, his fingers briefly connecting with the ball enough to tip it into the net for a game-winning basket against the Boston Celtics. A few hours afterwards, the Milwaukee Bucks player went out to celebrate, as one does, choosing the Water Street location of BelAir Cantina, a small Milwaukee chain of Mexican restaurants. Except the restaurant totally ignored him.
According to a Tweet from a fellow diner—who definitely recognized the game-winning player less than two hours after the Bucks victory—Antetokounmpo stood for minutes waiting to be acknowledged. (Stars, they’re just like us!) After 10 minutes, a polite Antetokounmpo didn’t cause a scene but merely left the restaurant and had pizza instead. (Again, so relatable!)
ESPN reports BelAir Cantina quickly apologized, issuing a statement that reads in part: “We are very sorry we weren’t able to seat Giannis Antetokounmpo in as timely manner as we would have hoped. ... We were honored he came in for a celebratory meal, and wish we would have accommodated him right away.”
The real question is how the entire staff of the restaurant missed a professional athlete who is 6-foot-11 hanging out by the host station. This is not a diminutive dude, as one can see in the below photo, in which he is standing next to a presumably average-sized human.
That photo, by the way? It was taken by the pizza place where Antetokounmpo dined after striking out at BelAire. Good on Antetokounmpo for being polite and rolling with it, and good on Dimoda Pizza for finally getting this hungry man some food.