The line between NBA superstars and internet icons continues to blur, and fans love every second of it. First, the 2025 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game became a highlight reel thanks to Twitch sensations like Kai Cenat and Druski.
A few weeks ago, Cenat again left the internet buzzing by joining LeBron James for a live edition of “The Shop: Uninterrupted” talk show at the Javits Center. Now, IShowSpeed is shaking things up in the basketball world, with a race challenge that even Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t willing to accept.
Why Did Giannis Antetokounmpo Turn Down IShowSpeed’s Race Challenge?
During a recent Twitch livestream in Greece, Speed asked Antetokounmpo if he’d be willing to race him. Antetokounmpo didn’t even pause to consider. He immediately shot down the challenge, laughing as he explained why.
“What to race?” Antetokounmpo said on the livestream. “Nah, I don’t… You know what, if I work out for like two years, just track and field workouts every day, maybe I’ll have a chance. But I saw you like racing against, what’s his name? Ashton Hall. You smoked him like what, four times?”
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he doesn’t want to race iShowSpeed because he saw what he did to Ashton Hall and says he doesn’t even pop up in his algorithm anymore 😠pic.twitter.com/shp9knUx66
— ryan 🤿 (@scubaryan_) July 10, 2025
For those unfamiliar, Hall is a fitness influencer known for his outlandish morning routine, which went viral on social media. In his videos, Hall would wake up at 3:50 a.m. with tape on his mouth. He does push-ups in the dark, rubs a banana peel on his face, and dunks his head into a bucket of ice water.
While his habits made him an internet sensation, Hall recently returned to the spotlight for a different reason as he challenged Speed to a race. Not just once, but four separate times. And despite Hall’s viral discipline, Speed torched him in every single sprint.
Given that showing, it’s no wonder Antetokounmpo respectfully declined to test his Speed. But the racing challenge wasn’t the only memorable moment from Speed’s time in Greece.
What Other Viral Moments Did Speed Create in Greece?
Speed created another viral moment by ducking under the exact basketball hoop where Antetokounmpo first honed his skills as a young player, all while sporting a Greek national team jersey.
Giannis didn’t think Speed couldn’t touch touch the rim, so Speed DUNKS it 🔥 👀 pic.twitter.com/knbiZoSCv1
— Speedy Updates (@SpeedUpdates1) July 10, 2025
As for Antetokounmpo, the 2024-25 NBA season was another strong showing from the Greek Freak. He averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, led the Milwaukee Bucks to a (48-34) record, and secured a playoff spot.
Antetokounmpo stepped it up even further in the postseason as he dropped 33.0 points per game. But unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Bucks were bounced in the first round by the Indiana Pacers in a surprising 4-1 series defeat.
