NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, also known as the “Greek Freak,” recalled an incident that occurred during the All-Star Weekend when he faced ridicule for using an Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Google Pixel instead of an Apple Inc. AAPL iPhone, leading to an exciting twist in the story.
What Happened: During the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend, Antetokounmpo, the star athlete who is a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, made an innocent move that sparked an unexpected social media frenzy.
While capturing the moments of the event with his Google Pixel, little did he know that he was about to become the subject of trolling on the mean streets of Twitter, now rebranded as “X.”
The Twitterverse, accustomed to seeing millionaire athletes flaunting their iPhones, pounced on the opportunity to mock Antetokounmpo for his choice of a Google Pixel.
See Also: Would You Trade-In Your iPhone For Google Pixel Fold? Choose Quickly!
A popular NBA Memes account posted a throwback post about the incident.
Instead of getting defensive, Antetokounmpo responded with humor, revealing that his Google Pixel choice caught the attention of the tech giant. They saw an opportunity and reached out to him, offering a sponsorship deal to be the face of Google Pixel for the next two years.
The endorsement deal not only turned the tables on his mockers but also filled Giannis’ pockets with some extra cash. Since then, he has been featured in several Google Pixel commercials, showcasing the phone’s features with his signature charm and style.
Why It’s Important: In June, Google launched its “Best Phones Forever” campaign, directly comparing its Pixel phones with the iPhone.
The campaign highlighted numerous Pixel features absent in iPhones and took a playful jab at Apple’s reluctance to adopt the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol and the ongoing infamous blue bubble controversy.
Last year, it was reported that the popularity of iPhones among smartphone users was reportedly worrying Google to such an extent that the tech giant decided to double down on its hardware, including its Pixel phones.
In May this year, during Google I/O, the annual developer conference, the company introduced Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel Fold.
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Read Next: Watch: Google Pixel Takes Shots At Apple iPhone In Its New Campaign, And It’s Hilarious
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