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“If Kevin Durant hit one of the greatest shots in NBA history, we wouldn’t be talking about Giannis at all”: Skip Bayles discredits Khris Middleton and the Bucks following NBA Finals victory over Suns

Samir Mehdi
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“If Kevin Durant hit one of the greatest shots in NBA history, we wouldn’t be talking about Giannis at all”: Skip Bayles discredits Khris Middleton and the Bucks following NBA Finals victory over Suns

Skip Bayless says if Kevin Durant had hit one of the greatest shots in NBA history in Game 7 over Giannis, we would be having a different conversation. 

Much has been said about the legitimacy of Giannis and the Bucks’s 2021 NBA championship. This is, of course, due to the fact that their ECSF opponents, the Brooklyn Nets, were riddled with injuries and guys like Kyrie Irving and James Harden were either out or not themselves upon returning to the floor. Some forget that Spencer Dinwiddie was also unavailable due to a partially torn ACL. 

In all fairness, that Brooklyn-Nets series is the only argument that could be used against Giannis Antetokounmpo and company when it comes to them winning the chip. Other than them, they played completely healthy teams in the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and the Phoenix Suns.

Also read: “Giannis, stop diminishing your teammates”: Stephen Jackson calls out the Bucks MVP for claiming Khris Middleton and co aren’t a superteam after beating Chris Paul and Suns

There were guys like Victor Oladipo, Deandre Hunter, and Dario Saric that were ruled out but these weren’t players who are the caliber of swinging a series in their team’s favor. 

Giannis and the Bucks wouldn’t even be in the conversation if Kevin Durant hit the game winner over them says Skip Bayless. 

One of the biggest what ifs from this Playoffs that certainly has bigger implications on the course of NBA history and where multiple players’ legacies stand, is Kevin Durant’s regulation game-tying shot in Game 7 of the ECSF. The shot was a matter of inches and if it weren’t for his feet ever so slightly touching the arc, the Nets would’ve been up by one and potentially advanced to the East Finals. 

Skip Bayless seems to want to remind us all about this incredible sliding doors moment as he took to Twitter to say that Giannis wouldn’t be in the conversation right now if KD had hit that shot.

Also read: “Giannis is an all time top-10 power forward”: Bucks superstar’s 2021 Finals performance has put him in the GOAT power forwards conversation

Technically, he isn’t wrong. Why would fans be clamoring about Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks at the end of July when they had gotten eliminated some time in June. So yes, if Milwaukee didn’t make it out of the second round, no one would be talking about them because why would they be. 

At least the Bucks didn’t benefit from a slew of injuries as egregious as what the Suns dealt with. Every single team they faced up until they faced the Bucks had either their best player or their second player out for the series due to injury. The uproar about an asterisk championship would be 10x louder if Chris Paul and the Suns capitalized on their 2-0 series lead. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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