Rodman was the ultimate “bad boy” of the NBA and his repertoire is simply unmatchable. But in another sport, and across thousands of miles away from the United States, there is a player who is apparently the “Dennis Rodman of Tennis”, as per Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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We all know that Giannis likes to joke, a lot. And when you ask him questions that are slightly comic in nature, you will get responses that are guaranteed to make you laugh. He loves the dad joke and will also crack jokes about his teammates sometimes.
So what happens when you ask him about racket sports? He talks about a lot of things, and he draws a wild but apt comparison.
Giannis Antetokounmpo called Nick Kyrgios the “Dennis Rodman of Tennis”
Giannis was asked about what he thinks of Nick Kyrigios ahead of 2021, Australian Open. And his response was funny, to say the least.
The @NBA x @AustralianOpen content we need.
Can @Giannis_An34 play tennis and what does he think about @NickKyrgios?
(🎥 @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/eX5Dr3urRf
— Kane Pitman (@KanePitman) January 28, 2021
He is first annoyed that the reporter does not talk about Stefano Tsitsipas, Greece’s best tennis player. And then gets to Kyrgios, here is the quote in full.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: “I am terrible in tennis, but i’m really good in ping pong. Really really good. I know Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder are champions, but i can beat them easily! Nick Kyrgios is basically, how can i say this politely, he is the Dennis Rodman of tennis”.
— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) January 28, 2021
Kyrgios took this as a compliment and we can’t blame him. He is quite a lot like Rodman, in persona and in his sport.
Haha my boy @Giannis_An34 🙏🏽🙏🏽❤️❤️ love you!!! Keep doing you and inspiring brother https://t.co/wN4YWjXwBH
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) January 29, 2021
Also read: Dennis Rodman, Who Couldn’t Pay $800,000 In Child Support, Insanely Lost $200,000 In A Single Night
Why are the parallels between Rodman and Kyrgios so apt?
It would not have been the first time that Kyrgios and Rodman were compared, nor would it have been the last! Over the course of the last year, Kyrgios has taken Giannis’ comparisons to heart. On more than one occasion, he has repped Dennis Rodman.
Nick Kyrgios wearing a Dennis Rodman shirt to this press conference COULD NOT be more appropriate
— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) July 2, 2022
Nick Kyrgios wearing a Dennis Rodman shirt at the post-match interview is so fitting pic.twitter.com/MDWACY2gSJ
— Safwaan (@SafwaanTwoThree) July 3, 2022
Nick Kyrgios wore a Dennis Rodman shirt to practice today and then did this on his first serve of the match
Legend pic.twitter.com/lCXF1I4s8g
— Andrew Fenichel (@Andrew_Fenichel) March 12, 2022
And people across the world have noticed the similarities between the two. Apart from being good at the sport in his own way, Kyrgios is also quite fiery and volatile.
Kyrgios has that Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons 80/90’s vibe –
The bad boy of tennis.
— N.A.S. (@NouraTheCurator) July 10, 2022
He also said this, “If I passed (away) tomorrow, I would take that any day of the week, being remembered as the Dennis Rodman of the sport.”. Clearly, he sees the comparison, and while he may not be as vibrant as Dennis, we sure think he has the flamboyance.
Also read: Having been scammed of $27M, Dennis Rodman later got $220,000 in a reality show