Chris “Mad Dog” Russo didn’t hold back on First Take as he lashed out at LeBron James’ recent bold claim that Giannis Antetokounmpo would score 250 points in a single game if he played in the 1970s.
Russo took it personally, not just as a basketball analyst, but as someone who grew up watching the NBA during that era. And for Russo, LeBron’s comments were flat-out disrespectful to legends like Julius Erving, Bill Walton, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“Well, I’ll say this to LeBron. Has he heard of Julius Erving? Okay, Giannis is not as good as Julius Erving. Did Julius Erving, who played in the ’70s, was on the Sixers in the ’70s—you think that Julius Erving scored 250 points in a quote-unquote game or averaged 50 a game?”
“Here’s what I want you to do, LeBron: I want you to go take a peek at the ’77 Trail Blazers. You go watch Walton, and you go watch Mo Lucas play in the frontcourt. Mo Lucas, who wouldn’t take nonsense from nobody.”
“The first time that Giannis would go in the lane, he’d be knocked on his rear end. No three-point line, not a lot of up and down. Let me see Giannis against that team. Let me see him go out there and average 50 points a game.”
“You know what? Julius didn’t. He lost to that Portland team in the NBA Finals, embarrassed. They lost four straight games after they were up 2–0.”
“And Giannis is not Julius Erving. He’s not in the same ballpark as Julius Erving, a top 12 player in the history of the NBA. Giannis is not in that scenario. So that bothers me.”
“When you bring up the ’70s, my era, when I grew up and I watched every game night in and night out until 3 o’clock in the morning, a lot of these Finals were on tape delay, to sit there and embarrass the guys who played in the ’70s? Bill Walton? Kareem? All these great centers, are you nuts?”
“Giannis is a great player, nobody’s going to say he’s not a great player. But don’t sit there and say that this is ridiculous to compare him to somebody who’s better than anybody in the ’70s, because he’s not. He’s not in this level.”
LeBron’s comments, made during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, were clearly exaggerated for effect.
He wanted to hammer home how dominant a modern-day physical specimen like Giannis would be in an era without the three-point line, with less athletic defenders, and much slower-paced games. But to Russo, that rhetoric crossed the line.
To Russo, the conversation about Giannis, or any current star dominating the past misses the point. Greatness is contextual. The game has evolved, yes, but that doesn’t make the past irrelevant.
The moment became another classic Mad Dog tirade—passionate, loud, and deeply rooted in reverence for the basketball he grew up loving. And whether or not you agree with his take, there’s no denying the fire Russo brings to the table.
As for LeBron? He probably knew what he was doing.
This is what he does—stirs up debate, forces comparisons, and keeps the game talking. One thing’s for sure: Mind The Game Season 2 might have some ammo already.
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