Very few could’ve predicted the absolute superstar that Giannis Antetokounmpo was going to turn into when he entered the league in 2013. At the time, international players were still seen as gambles, and nobody knew who he was. One of those people was former player Iman Shumpert, who recently reacted to a dunk he had on a young Giannis.
Advertisement
The scene was November 2014 in Milwaukee. The New York Knicks were taking on a lowly Bucks team that had finished with 15 wins the previous season. Shumpert and the Knicks would eventually finish that year with the same number of wins, unfortunately. But he made sure to give the fans and Giannis a moment to remember from the game.
Shumpert received a pass from JR Smith near the baseline and suddenly looked confused. It was a moment that he explained was awkward, but he eventually turned it into a highlight dunk on Giannis.
“I just remember Swish not having something. He didn’t have anything going; we were in an awkward spot. And he threw me the ball and kind of looked at Giannis like, ‘Go! What are you doing? Go! F the play, just go.’ And I just remember using it to look confused and do a look off, and then just turn the corner,” Shumpert explained on House of Highlights.
It was a savvy and smart play for the veteran to make on the young Giannis. He looked off and took advantage of the open baseline before soaring in for a posterizing reverse dunk. One of Giannis’ many “Welcome to the NBA” moments.
However, Shumpert then admitted that he took advantage of a skinny Giannis who was listed at 6 feet 9, 190 lbs. So, it wasn’t really fair. “Giannis was fresh off the plane. He hadn’t seen the weight room yet, and he wasn’t eating that fine dining. He had to adjust to the food; we had a jump start on him, man,” Shumpert said.
Eventually, Giannis would grow into his 6-foot-11, 250 lbs frame that he has today. But it took a while for him to get there, and when he arrived from Greece, he was quite skinny. Later on, Shumpert revealed that he didn’t see Giannis becoming who he would become today. In fact, he didn’t even have a scouting report on the kid at the time.
“I didn’t even have film on the man, for real, before the game. So, to see him become an action figure… Somebody was right about that potential.”
Whoever did see the potential in Giannis, like Bill Simmons, surely must feel like a genius today. He’s won 2 MVPs, made 9 All-NBA teams, and won an NBA title in 2021. Giannis has also turned into one of the funniest personalities in the game today, and looks like a treat for Bucks fans to get to enjoy on a nightly basis.
But sadly, despite his love for the team and city, rumors of the Greek Freak demanding a trade have started gathering steam. Now, many wonder where he will end up. Rumors suggest the Spurs, Rockets, and Shumpert’s Knicks are all in the running. All would have incredible impacts on the Eastern and Western Conferences.
