NBA star's Cristiano Ronaldo celebration at Leagues Cup final backfires
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo was in high spirits ahead of the Leagues Cup final as Nashville SC suffered a defeat to Inter Miami.
The Milwaukee Bucks power forward was seen practicing his soccer skills ahead of kick off and saw his opportunity to mimic Lionel Messi's biggest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the process.
The 6-foot-11 star was at the game having become a minority owner in the MLS franchise in March, alongside NHL and Nashville Predators star Filip Forsberg.
As a part-owner of the team, Giannis took to the field prior to the match. The 28-year-old was involved in various television interviews and saw his opportunity to take a quick shot at goal.
Standing just ahead of the half way line, the 'Greek Freak' took a shot which sailed into the back of the net. In celebration Giannis ran off to perform Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic 'SIU' celebration, not once, but twice.
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The move prompted the crowd to shout along and drew plenty of laughter from the spectators in the 30,000 capacity DEODIS Park stadium in Tennessee.
The celebration could be seen as a dig towards Lionel Messi who featured for Nashville's Leagues Cup final opponents, Inter Miami - although everyone involved was full of smiles. Messi and Ronaldo have a longstanding rivalry following almost a decade in Spain's La Liga.
The pair enjoyed a competitive spell during their times at Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively with a constant battle to win the league, the Champions League and out-do each other's goal records.
(Getty Images)The rivalry was seemingly quashed in 2018 when Ronaldo sought a move to Italian giants Juventus. Messi saw a move to Paris Saint-Germain materialise three years later and has since joined David Beckham's MLS franchise.
Despite Giannis' attempts to reignite the rivalry, Messi managed to get the last laugh on the night. Inter Miami lifted the Leagues Cup trophy after a tense penalty shootout.
The game saw Messi grab the opening goal in the 23rd minute thanks to a curling shot from outside the penalty area. Nashville equalized ten minutes into the second half through Fafa Picault, which took the game to penalties.
The shootout saw Messi convert again before Nashville goalkeeper Elliott Panicco had his penalty saved. The trophy is Messi's first for the MLS side who play New York RB next on Sunday, Aug. 27 when the season resumes.
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