“Giannis Antetokounmpo is Unguardable Like Michael Jordan”: Avery Johnson Saw the Greek Freak’s Potential Before His First MVP Season

By the end of the 2020-21 season, one thing became apparently clear to the NBA community, 26-year-old, 7-foot forward from Greece, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was going to go as one of the greatest basketball players of all time even if he retired at 26.

The Greek Freak had won every significant individual and team award by then even before the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James had won when they were 26.

And so, even the players who saw MJ grace the hardwood themselves and lost several battles against him when they played and were a part of NBA’s history themselves saw Giannis’ transcendence even before it actually became a guarantee.

Also read: Kevin Durant All-Star Game Stats — Numbers Behind the Slim Reaper’s 12 Appearances In the Annual Exhibit

Avery Johnson felt Giannis Antetokounmpo was unguardable even before his first MVP season

Avery Johnson, the 1999 NBA champ with the Spurs and one of the most successful role players turned coaches who always had a brilliant mind for the game, compared Giannis Antetokounmpo with Michael Jordan even before he won his first MVP award.

Giannis and the Bucks put up a show in the 2018-2019 season and finished as the team with the best record in the NBA. But how they finished the regular season made Johnson make an MJ comparison as he saw how “unstoppable” the Greek international had become.

Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game and went on to win his first MVP award. But the Bucks lost the Conference Finals against the eventual champions, Kawhi Leonard’s Toronto Raptors.

Also read: “Giannis Antetokounmpo Doesn’t Look Like He Has a House”: When Dwyane Wade Praised Bucks MVP’s Work Ethic In His Last Game in Milwaukee

Giannis’ career since 2019

The man took his game to another level next season and averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, a steal, and a block per game and didn’t just win the MVP but also the Defensive Player of the Year.

But then again missed out on the ultimate glory, this time, a round earlier, in the conference semi-finals. This made him even hungrier and a better team player, which finally translated to a championship in the 2020-21 season.

Following that he became the youngest player to have won every major accolade in the NBA and deservedly got included among the NBA’s Greatest 75 players of all time. He was the youngest among them too.

Also read: “Nikola Jokic and LeBron James Are Playing Chess, Not Checkers!”: Denver Nuggets Coach’s High Praise After the Joker’s Massive Triple-double

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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