Charles Barkley praised Giannis Antetokounmpo after a big performance in front of the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the ECF. The 2x NBA MVP put up a show as his team demolished the Hawks to tie the series.
Following the game, Chuck named Giannis and Russell Westbrook as the two hardest fighters in the league, even above Michael Jordan. It’s not a secret that Russell Westbrook always gives his everything, and so does Giannis, which is why he’s accomplished so many things in his time in the league.
That is also why Barkley said he plays harder than anybody in today’s NBA and even during his era (6:30).
“He is the big Russell Westbrook. Russell Westbrook and Giannis play harder than any two players in the NBA. Like every single night, they give maximum effort.”
“I can’t even find anybody in my days, who gave maximum effort. [MJ]… not the level of Giannis, Michael was the greatest, but the level of excellence… *interrupted*.”
Chuck always makes hot takes, although most of them turn out to be inaccurate. The former NBA player-turned-analyst often makes big comparisons, and this must be one of the biggest to date.
He clarified that Jordan is the greatest but Giannis plays harder than him. Well, imagine how hard you have to go to be compared to Michael Jordan. His Airness always took things personally, pushing himself to the next level every single game. That’s how he became the GOAT, and Giannis seemingly wants to follow in his footsteps.
As Scottie Pippen recently said, Antetokounmpo is not afraid of failure. He knows he will get another chance to make things right the next play and that’s very similar to Jordan’s mindset. You love to see this man putting the work to be successful.
The Bucks put up a clinic on Friday night, dominating Trae Young’s Atlanta Hawks, with Giannis showing his quality from the beginning through the end of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_EGSP2mi1k
