The dispute between Max and the basketball team started as a roleplay, which Ginnie had playfully come up with. After all, Ginnie, Max, and even the captain of the former school basketball team had been quite close. Max and the captain would still play together, with the captain encouraging Max to join the team again or just practice with them.
However, Max respectfully declined, reasoning that his life had changed and basketball was no longer a part of it. He was simply glad he could still bond with the captain through casual, occasional games. His relationship with Ginnie was a bit surprising and complicated. They couldn't say they were very close, but they shared a mutual respect for each other and a common interest in analyzing sports.
The situation, however, got blown out of proportion because Penny kept fueling the fire and twisting some words that were said. What started as a roleplay ended up turning into a real argument, and here they were.