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“Giannis could be the greatest to ever to do it”: When Kevin Durant tipped the Greek Freak to compete for GOAT with Michael Jordan and LeBron James

Tonoy Sengupta
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"Giannis could be the greatest to ever to do it": Kevin Durant heaps praise on Bucks star ahead of Nets' Game 3 at Fiserv Forum

Kevin Durant believes that Giannis Antetokounmpo has a very real chance to become the GOAT alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James. 

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past few weeks, chances are you’ve heard of a little bit of controversy brewing between Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and former player Jay Williams.

But, we here at the SportsRush are a very inclusive group. So, for those who don’t know what’s going on, here is a short rundown of what happened.

A couple of years ago, Jay Williams claimed on national television that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s body was a mix between Anthony Davis’s and Kevin Durant’s.

The former NBA player recently mentioned that on ESPN’s show ‘KJZ’, and added that the Slim Reaper had sternly told him never to compare him to the Greek Freak again. The analyst also mentioned that the then Warriors star had a vengeful gleam in his eye as he said this.

Fast-forward to a few days after Williams made this claim, Durant came out publicly to call this story false. And since then, reports have suggested that there is some serious tension between Giannis and KD because of this whole fiasco.

Now, whether this little anecdote is true or not, we can’t say for sure. However, one thing we are sure of, is that the Nets star has always admired the Greek Freak’s game. And a few years ago, he bestowed perhaps the greatest honor upon the player.

Also Read: Skip Bayless blasts the Suns veteran for his poor playoffs record

“He could end up being the best player to ever play”: Kevin Durant on Giannis Antetokounmpo 

Kevin Durant has always been known for being one of the more vocal superstars in the NBA. Where most of his colleagues may bite their tongue, the Slim Reaper goes straight for it. And, while that has landed him in some hot water at times, fans have always loved his honesty and courage to speak his mind.

One of the many things the player speaks freely on is his thoughts on the game of fellow NBA players. And during fan Q and A session on YouTube, here is what he had to say about the Bucks star.

“I like long, athletic guys… That’s just who I am. The Greek Freak I think is a force, and I’ve never seen anything like him. And his ceiling is probably—he could end up being the best player to ever play if he really wanted to. That’s pretty scary to think about. But he’s by far my favorite player to watch.”

This was in 2017, the year Giannis had won Most Improved Player of the year. Safe to say, the player has made strides more massive than his own during a euro step since that time.

But, in this series against the Brooklyn Nets, will the Greek Freak be able to prove Kevin Durant, right? Or will he fizzle out when his team needs him the most? Getting to a status like that of Michael Jordan or LeBron James required much, much higher standards of playoff performances.

Also Read: NBA legend Charles Barkley hates superteams and he lets it be known in a recent interview

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

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Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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