Giannis Antetokounmpo already made a name for himself as one of the finest players in league history by winning back-to-back MVP awards and an NBA championship for the Milwaukee Bucks. All of these were attained by his unmatched hardwork and discipline as a little-known first-round pick from Athens.
Amid the accomplishments and respect he is absorbing from his colleagues and fans across basketball landscape, retired star point guard Gilbert Arenas notoriously contested everything that the Greek icon currently have, claiming that Giannis “doesn’t understand basketball yet.”
By stating these words, Arenas took huge backlash mainly from the passionate Bucks supporters.
And when he was granted recently a chance to clear things out, here are now his words:
“Right now, his game is all physical … I’m saying if you guys had him No. 1 or No. 2, and he does not understand this game yet, that’s scary,” Arenas said. “… Give him Tim Duncan’s knowledge, whole different player, isn’t he?”
It’s already given that Giannis is yet to address some major holes in his game, and it’s all natural for a player to tackle their own. The likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James and the late Kobe Bryant have also their respective weaknesses, but still went on having successful careers.
As such, discrediting the tools he have to become arguably the best player in the world is just unfair on the side of Arenas. Every player can still excel on the crafts they are composed of, and Giannis having that sheer power is just a result of his hard work and passion to improve — and it’s already based on his growth since his rookie year.
A player like Giannis understands that he has more to develop entering his prime, and his thoughts alone are enough to become fuel for more greater feats.
