After LeBron James stirred the pot during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show by saying Giannis Antetokounmpo would score 250 points in a game if he played in the 1970s, the Greek Freak has finally responded—offering a balanced, lighthearted, yet thoughtful perspective that reflects the respect he holds for the game’s history.
“I don’t know about that take, I think it’s a wrong take. I don’t know, I think if I played in the 70s, I would probably be more of like 275, not 250. I’m joking. Great compliment, but I don’t like, you know, how you say, comparing eras. It’s not fair.”
“And, you know, if I played in the 70s, how everybody practiced and how everybody played, I would have played the same way. You know, that’s all you knew at the time. And you know, the game evolves. And we’ve got to 2020 and we know more.”
“You know, people will shoot the ball from half court, Towns trailing every time, and he’s able to catch the ball and shoot it. He’s a threat. Like, it’s totally different, right? So you cannot compare this era with that era.”
“You know, I wish that this era that I play in right now, 2025, I wish I could score 250 points today. But yeah, I don’t think it’s fair to compare, because I would probably play the same way that they did if I played in the 70s.”
“So yeah, but it’s a great compliment coming from one of the best players in the league. It’s definitely a great compliment. Appreciate it.”
"It's a wrong take… 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… The game evolves."
Giannis Antetokounmpo on LeBron James' comment on him scoring 250 points in the '70s.pic.twitter.com/vjX0ldFhFE
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 29, 2025
The two-time MVP clearly took the outlandish claim as a compliment—albeit a bit over the top. But wasn’t going to just smile and move on without addressing the broader context of LeBron’s viral comment. He used the opportunity to speak on the nuance of comparing NBA players across different generations.
Giannis’ point is one echoed by many modern players when debates about greatness and dominance across eras arise. The NBA of the 1970s was dramatically different from today’s game: no three-point line, far less spacing, slower tempo, and a much different culture of conditioning and strategy.
Giannis is right. The modern NBA is filled with freakish athletes and hybrid bigs who handle the ball, stretch the floor, and run the fast break like guards.
While it’s fun to fantasize about what players like Giannis would do to 1970s defenses, it’s impossible to strip away the cultural and systemic differences of the eras. Giannis recognizes that if he played in the ‘70s, he would’ve trained and played the same way as his peers.
LeBron’s comment was clearly tongue-in-cheek, meant to highlight how absurdly dominant Giannis is physically. But in doing so, it sparked a ripple of reactions. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo slammed the take, defending Julius Erving and other legends of the ‘70s. Others jumped in to debate whether LeBron was dismissing the toughness and skill of that generation.
Meanwhile, Giannis took the high road—appreciative, respectful, and honest.
No hyperbole. Just humility and perspective from one of the most dominant players of his era.
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