Grayson Allen will have to put up with the booing in Chicago for the rest of his life. He got them after a Flagrant 2, left block, right swipe foul against Bulls’ Alex Caruso in January, which earned him a one-game suspension as well as the wrath of Caruso and Bulls coach Billy Donovan.
What’s more intriguing is how Allen will manage the good-natured booing… from his own team. Is it possible that he’ll be out for the rest of the playoffs?
After being blown away by Allen’s dominance in Games 3 and 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs in Chicago over the weekend, numerous Bucks players have begun teasingly booing Grayson.
“Walk on the bus: ‘Boo,’” said Allen.
“In the hotel: ‘Boo,’” added Allen.
“’Bout to watch film: ‘Boo.’”
Allen’s follow-up to his career-high 22 points off the bench in Game 3’s victory. Friday night, he scored a career-high 27 points in Game 4 of the series, which he won 119-95 on Sunday afternoon. There are more boos. From my perch on the bench. A real “(Bleep) you, Grayson Allen” from a fan behind the Bucks hoop at the end of the game certainly drowned it out.
“I didn’t know….” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. “Are they doing that? Whatever… it’s working, so…”
“I think it’s more fun booing Grayson,” said fellow guard Jrue Holiday. “I think it started with the fans.
🗣 Bring on the boos!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SkSWNFTmMC
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 24, 2022
“He be hoopin’ when we start booing him, so… Maybe it means something to him. Some form of support. I’m still going to be booing the hell out of him.”
Allen’s reputation as the obnoxious player who everyone despises — unless he’s playing for your side — has only become stronger as a result of this.
“Someone showed me the picture when he had the ‘And-One ‘ in Game 3 — and the whole bench was booing him,” said Bucks teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I thought that was really funny. Like, he’s got to take that picture and frame it.
“That’s the definition of his career,” said Giannis.
“I think that’s his comfort zone, I think that’s what he’s used to, right?” said Bucks center Brook Lopez of the Bucks boos. “I think he likes that more than the cheers.”
Actually, Allen, strangely enough, does not fully embrace all of this.
He’s figuring out how to deal with it, but that’s an other story.
“I would still say that it’s not naturally comfortable for me,” said Allen.
“But I am to the point now where, I mean, anytime I go out and play basketball, I just remind myself to have fun with it. So I am having fun with it — I guess you could say — because I am playing basketball. That’s what I love to do. The ultimate joy out there for me is just playing, have fun, play free.
