Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the greatest players in NBA history. This is evident by his inclusion on the NBA’s Top 75 All-Time Players to commemorate the league’s 75th anniversary. What is astounding is that the two-time MVP is still just 28 years old and in the prime of his career. Indeed, the accolades that Giannis has accomplished at such a young age have rarely been matched by players throughout the course of long careers. Basketball fans in general, and Bucks fans especially, are fortunate to witness such dominance.
The greatness of Giannis is not lost on his fellow NBA legends either. On a recent podcast episode of “Podcast P with Paul George, the Logo himself, NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West, had the highest of praise for Giannis.
NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West Praises Milwaukee Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo
While guesting on George’s podcast, West was asked about several current big-name NBA players. When the topic of the Greek Freak came around, well, West was highly complimentary:
“Something about Giannis [Antetokounmpo] that attracts me to him. I’ve never seen a player like [Giannis] in my life. You look at him and you say, ‘Oh my gosh if this guy could shoot a little bit more consistently, particularly free-throws,’ I love him as a player. If you watch their team, they follow him… He has some extra juice inside of him.
“He’s a great guy and he just plays the game.”
There are no shortage of former greats that have been complimentary of Giannis. However, coming from West, the praise is just a bit more meaningful. This is a guy who played with and against legends. Wilt Chamberlain was his teammate, Bill Russell his constant foe. Throughout his decades in the league, West has seen just about every single greatest player that has played the game. For him to saw that Giannis is special, that he has never seen anyone like him, wow! I am not sure there is any praise that could mean more.
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