Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo disagrees with LeBron James’ statement on the Pat McAfee Show.
The NBA has always been an ever-changing league, which results in players from different eras possessing unique skills to dominate in their time.
However, in recent years, the NBA media has made it their mission not only to compare the modern NBA to the older generations, but criticize the current superstars of the league.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James finally snapped at the notion during his ongoing feud with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
The biggest argument that the supposed ‘old heads’ of the league present is that the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s eras featured a physical brand of basketball.
As a result, stars of the modern league, who rely more on finesse, would be ineffective if they played in the above-mentioned eras. James addressed this narrative during his unexpected appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
“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!”
Of course, the King was exaggerating to make his point. But even that statement was molded by the likes of Stephen A., as he claimed ‘Giannis is not as good as Julius Erving.’
It ultimately proved James’ bigger point about the current state of the media, where it has become common to criticize the biggest stars in the league.
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently one of the most fearsome players in the league. As a 6’11, 240 lbs+ forward, Antetokounmpo heavily relies on his ability to attack the paint to score the majority of his points.
Coming back to James’ statement, Antetokounmpo claimed he wouldn’t score 250 points if he played in the 1970s. Instead, he would score 275 points in a game!
“I don’t know about that take. I think it’s a wrong take. If I played in the ’70s, It would probably be more like 275. Not 250. I’m joking. Great compliment. But I don’t like comparing eras. It’s not fair,” Antetokounmpo said.
He added: “If I played in the ’70s, with how everybody was practicing and playing, we would have played the same way. That’s all you knew at the time, and the game has evolved since then.”
The 2x NBA MVP further clarified his point, stating: “It’s totally different, so you can’t compare this era with that era. I wish at this era that I play at now — 2025 — I wish I could score 250 points today.
“But, yeah, I don’t think it’s fair to compare. I’d probably play the same way they played if I played in the ’70s.”
“It’s a great compliment coming from one of the best players in the league. It’s definitely a great compliment. I appreciate it.”
We don’t know how many points Giannis would have averaged in the ’70, but what we do is that the Greek Freak is currently on pace to average more than 30.0 points per game for the third straight season.
