Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best and most dominant players in the NBA today. Even though he doesn’t have the same skillset as other players, the Greek Freak takes advantage of his talents and destroys defenses with his aggressiveness in front of the rim.
He’s now a 2x NBA MVP and somebody that’s constantly in the conversation for the best player in the league. Giannis has improved his game every season, but some people still doubt him. Others, like Tracy McGrady, think that the 2021 NBA champion would have struggled if they played in the same era.
During a recent appearance on Shaquille O’Neal’s podcast, T-Mac explained that Giannis’ constantly attacking the rim would have hurt his game since the defense was great back then and they were closer to the paint than now.
”I think he would have struggled because of how closed up the paint was. It was tough offensively because the defense was so great.”
“If you can’t shoot, it’s gonna be hard. And Giannis’ game is predicated on coming downhill. It would have been tough to be who he is today, back then.“
This is interesting, seeing that T-Mac was talking with somebody who dominated the paint and did everything he wanted against his defenders. Shaquille O’Neal was a nightmare for his rivals during his best years, winning many championships, being one of the best players in the league, and always being part of the MVP conversation.
In the past, Shaq compared himself to Giannis given their similar styles of play. If Shaq did it and he had a more limited game than Giannis, why wouldn’t Antetokounmpo dominate in O’Neal’s era?
Then again, this is Tracy McGrady talking, one of the most talented players to set foot on an NBA court. When he talks, people listen, but not many will agree with him on these remarks.
