As special a player as LeBron James has been over the years, he isn't the only freak of nature who is currently thriving in the NBA. There is a superstar named Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Milwaukee Bucks who, to a certain extent, may remind some of a younger version of James.
Obviously, Antetokounmpo isn't as strong or powerful as James. But at 6-foot-11, he's a couple of inches taller, and he has incredibly long strides in the open court. He's a terror on the fast break, and he seems to be able to make it from end to end in the blink of an eye.
During his appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," James seemed to glaze Antetokounmpo by saying the two-time MVP would've scored a boatload of points had he played in the 1970s.
"You trying to tell me Giannis wouldn't be able to play an NBA game in the 70s? Giannis Antetokounmpo would have 250 points in a game in the 70s. 250!"
The modest and low-key Antetokounmpo seemed to deflect James' praise.
Via ESPN:
"Great compliment, but I don't like comparing eras," Antetokounmpo said Friday after the Bucks' 116-107 loss to the New York Knicks. "It's not fair. If I'd played in the '70s, how everybody practiced and how everybody played, we would have played the same way. That's all you knew at the time. The game evolves. We got to 2020, and we know more."
Obviously, James' comment was massively hyperbolic. While NBA players weren't nearly as skilled or athletic back then, they played a more physical brand of basketball, and the league seemed to let borderline violent acts slide. On the other hand, team defensive schemes wouldn't quite reach the age of modernity until sometime in the 1980s.
Antetokounmpo, like James, is one of those generational players who would've thrived in any era. He's averaging 30.2 points on 60.1% shooting, 12.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.2 blocks a game this season, and while he won't win his third MVP this season, he's still almost universally regarded as one of the three best basketball players in the world.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Giannis Antetokounmpo on LeBron's comment about him playing in 1970s
