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“I Am Going Back to Greece”: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Who Has Stowed Money in 50 Banks, Did Not Appreciate Being Compared to Nic Batum

Adit Pujari
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“I Am Going Back to Greece”: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Who Has Stowed Money in 50 Banks, Did Not Appreciate Being Compared to Nic Batum

Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently one of the biggest names in NBA, but there was a time when his coach compared him to Nicolas Batum.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is an absolute beast. He has become such an exceptional player that people seem to forget the start of his career.

Back in 2013, in his rookie year, Giannis was seen as a good role player. He started just 23 games and averaged only 6.8 points per game. The next two years saw him improve but it was in his fourth season that he truly found his stride.

In a tweet back in 2013, Jonathan Wasserman, a draft analyst compared him to Nicolas Batum. This was back before the Antetokounmpo joined the league. In fact, Jonathan called him Giannis Adetokunbo.

Years later, Giannis’ coach made the same mistake of bringing Batum into the conversation but the Greek superstar immediately shut him down.

Also read: “You Know How to Make $900 Million?”: Shaquille O’Neal Once Gave Crucial Advice to Young Kids About Finances

Giannis would have gone back to Greece if he turned out like Batum

To be fair to Nicolas Batum, he was a decent player. He even had a season where he averaged 15+ points per game. But compared to where Giannis is now, there is absolutely no comparison between him and Antetokounmpo.

But when Giannis started off for the Milwaukee Bucks, Assistant Coach Josh Oppenheimer wanted Giannis to become like Nicolas Batum.

Once after practice, he sat down with the Greek Freak and told him to observe the former Charlotte Hornets player.

Oppenheimer: “Really look at him. He’s a really good player. If you work really hard, you might be able to be a Nic Batum type of player.”

Josh’s comment stunned Giannis into silence. After a brief pause, he basically told Josh to not even think about it. He claimed that if he ever became Nic Batum, he’d quit NBA and go back to Greece.

Giannis: “If I become Nic Batum, I’m going back to Greece.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo was destined for greatness

Even when he was barely a starter, Giannis had set his hopes high. He wanted to do the best he could, wanted to go for greatness rather than just make do with being just a decent player.

In his prolific career, he has earned ample accolades. In fact, he has also made a lot of money playing at such a high level. The Greek Freak, having come from a financially challenged household, treated this newfound money with a lot of respect.

Weirdly he opened up 50 accounts with 50 different banks. His coach revealed that Giannis Antetokounmpo has stored exactly $250,000 in those accounts. To each their own, we suppose.

Also read: “Everything Michael Jordan Did, Kobe Bryant Multiplied”: Dwight Howard’s Unfiltered Take on Black Mamba’s Skill Set

About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari

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Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

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