“Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t understand basketball”: Gilbert Arenas says something outrageous in a conversation with Lakers’ assistant coach

Akash Murty | 27/08/2022
"Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t understand basketball": Gilbert Arenas says something outrageous in a conversation with Lakers' assistant coach

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Top-3 player in the league, irrespective of whom the opinion is coming from.

Most fans will have the Greek international in their Top-3 even if they are LeBron James’ representatives or have Stephen Curry as the #1.

By age 26, which was last year, the 6ft 11’ forward, had achieved everything major there was to (MVPs, DPOYs, championship etc) as an NBA player, earlier than Michael Jordan and LeBron and any other basketball player.

Now that should help put him in GOAT conversation, which is also not way too far. Yet, there are more Finals to play, championships to win, and records to make and break.

Any which way, there is nothing that the Bucks star cannot do on the hardwood, but Gilbert Arenas believes that very man “doesn’t understand basketball”.

Also read:  Nikola Jokic betters his 8-4 winning record against Giannis Antetokounmpo leading Serbia to a crucial OT win

Gilbert Arenas thinks Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t understand basketball

In a recent conversation with Lakers’ assistant coach Phil Handy, where the former Wizards star was clearly looking like he has transcended to another world, says, Giannis might have led his team to a Championship already but he has yet to “understand” the game of basketball.

Handy must have been saying that there is something above the elite category of players, and that LeBron belongs there with the likes of Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and a few more, which is not way off.

But Arenas took it to an extreme level by saying what he said. And his reasoning that Antetokounmpo plays much fewer minutes than James at 37 years of age or an Allen Iverson playing 43 per game is a testament to the extreme thinking he goes to in his analysis.

Why should Giannis play more than 33 minutes a game when he can put up at least 29 points, 11 rebounds, 5.5 assists, a steal, and a block for four straight years? And win a championship, among several other things, while doing that.

That’s load management, that’s why he was able to come back from a hyperextended knee, which was visibly horrific and tormenting, and lead his team to the ultimate glory.

Also read: Giannis Antetokounmpo owns a part of $1.2 billion MLB team! 

But what would Arenas know about that? He had done everything right to become a great NBA player but lacked the courage of following the discipline of a successful athlete. That defines Giannis.

That and his 3 MVPs (2x regular season, 1x FMVP) which is the same number as Arenas’ All-Star appearances, so let’s stop this “no-debate” at once, shall we?

 

 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Giannis Antetokounmpo Gilbert Arenas Milwaukee Bucks Phil Handy

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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