Labeled as The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo surely lives up to his moniker. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar is one of the strongest and most athletic forwards out there in the league. He can cover the court in just a few strides and finish at the rim with absolute ease. And according to this former Laker, Giannis may be the best seven-footer in the league.
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Michael Beasley joined Jeff Teague and the crew on the Club 520 podcast. During his appearance, Beasley spoke on playing with LeBron James, and Kevin Durant and what makes Giannis stand out.
“That’s the difference between a good seven-footer and Giannis. I’ve seen Giannis every day. He gon’ put 200, 250 on and he gonna get his hip bridges in…Hey, I’m talking about he be putting weight that you ain’t supposed to be lifting,” he said.
Beasley only played with the Bucks for a year in the latter half of his career. But he got to see the dedication and the amount of work the Bucks forward put in on a daily basis. He even shared a story of how Giannis broke his collarbone due to excessive weight lifting and did not know about it until an entire week.
But seeing Antetokounmpo take care of his body the way he has also made him realize how he did not take care of his. Even Teague attested to it, mentioning how the younger players are much more aware of how to take care of themselves for longevity.
Antetokounmpo’s transformation in the NBA
When he first came into the league, Antetokounmpo was just another scrawny seven-footer from Greece. Giannis went on to gain weight and develop muscle over the years after seeing the level and style of play in the NBA.
When he was drafted, Giannis only weighed in at 196 lbs. For a better picture, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, who is listed at 7’2 weighed 195 lbs when drafted a few years back.
Seeing how he got bullied by even the smaller players, The Greek Freak decided it was time to change that. The former NBA champion managed to add about 50 pounds and now weighs somewhere around 242 lbs in his 10th year in the league.
His weight and muscle gain transformed him into a completely different beast. Giannis has since made numerous All-Star selections, won the league MVP twice, won a DPOY, and also brought Milwaukee their second championship in franchise history.
