Antetokounmpo – from unknown player to basketball monster
Few people expected that Giannis Antetokounmpo would go from being a skinny player when he first joined the Milwaukee Bucks to soon reaching stardom at such a young age.
Antetokounmpo received the MVP title (best player) with an average of 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists after 72 games in the 2018/19 season. In 2018, Antetokounmpo was favorably called a Demigod by ESPN in a video analyzing the player himself through the late famous player Kobe Bryant’s comment: “He is a Demigod.”
Milwaukee Bucks selected Antetokounmpo at No. 15 in the 2013 NBA Draft. Antetokounmpo was 2.05 m tall at that time, possessed a rare physical type and was considered to have the potential to develop to play many positions. The Bucks view Antetokounmpo as a small investment, but the results they get are extremely satisfying.
Rough gem with perfect physique
The NBA has never lacked players with unusual physiques throughout its more than 70-year history. However, Antetokounmpo is the strangest case of possessing perfect physical condition in almost every aspect.
Unlike many other players currently playing in the NBA, Antetokounmpo came to basketball quite late at the age of 14. Antetokounmpo was soon noticed by the top Greek basketball teams thanks to his outstanding height compared to ordinary people. After that, Antetokounmpo joined a basketball team, practiced basic skills and soon played in youth tournaments.
In 2013, Antetokounmpo began to receive attention from top NBA scouts. Antetokounmpo then only played in the youth and second-tier basketball tournament system in Greece. The scouts were surprised at Antetokounmpo’s physical condition when watching videos sent back from Greece. “He is the perfect combination between a tall player and the agility of a top defender,” ESPN commented on Antetokounmpo.
Former Bucks CEO John Hammond revealed to ESPN that Giannis was only 2.05 m tall when he first entered the NBA. At the end of his rookie season, Antetokounmpo reached a height of 2.11 m. Antetokounmpo’s intensity has not changed as he has grown taller. “The 2.11m Antetokounmpo version is as stable and agile as before,” ESPN said.
In addition, Antetokounmpo has an arm span of 2.21 m (10 cm longer than his height) and a hand diameter (from thumb to middle finger) of more than 30 cm (normal people are only 17 cm). What makes Antetokounmpo a rarity in the world of basketball lies in his great intensity. There are very few tall players who can turn flexibly, with speed and possess resilience like Antetokounmpo.
The shortcomings in weight during his early career in the NBA were also quickly overcome by Antetokounmpo. From a slim boy weighing 95 kg, Antetokounmpo is now one of the most muscular players in the tournament with 110 kg.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most comprehensive basketball star in the world. Photo: NBA .
In the first match of round 1 of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Detroit Pistons, Antetokounmpo stole the ball from the free throw line at home and only needed one stroke to end it with a dunk on a counterattack. Antetokounmpo’s unbelievable play received millions of views on live video platforms at that time.
The NBA is known as the tournament of monsters with extraordinary physical abilities such as Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, David Robinson, Karl Malone or Shaquille O’neal, but no one is as perfect as Antetokounmpo in both strength and speed. degree. “Not to be arrogant or cocky, but I believe no one can stop me. It has to be the effort of a group of people. When I get close to the basket, there have to be three people defending me. That’s the only way.” , Antetokounmpo shared with Bleacher Report .
LeBron James’s successor
There are many players expected to replace LeBron James to become the face of the NBA in the future, but no one is more deserving than Antetokounmpo. Among the players expected to become the “new LeBron”, Antetokounmpo is the one having the most successful and progressive career.
ESPN newspaper once titled “Giannis is the best contemporary basketball player” in an analysis of Antetokounmpo. “Imagine a defensive player as good as Rudy Gobert and as dangerous in attack as James Harden. That is Giannis Antetokounmpo,” ESPN described star’s talent.
