The NBA is full of unique and shocking takes by NBA fans, analysts, and sometimes current players who are about to retire. Yes, we are talking about the Golden State Warriors veteran Andre Iguodala’s recent take on Rasheed Wallace and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Iggy claimed in a video that he believes if Wallace played in today’s NBA, he would be better than The Greek Freak. The four-time NBA champ claimed that Wallace could easily be a top 10 player in the modern-day NBA.
Now, Wallace was a great player. He was probably ahead of his time by knocking down difficult three-pointers here and there. He played a crucial role in helping the Detroit Pistons win the 2004 NBA Championship.
But to compare him with Giannis Antetokounmpo seems a bit extreme. Despite being 27 years old, Giannis already has a Hall of Fame-worthy resume. Additionally, he still has years left in his tank and will probably end up winning a couple of more rings before he retires from the NBA.
Keeping these points in mind, it was no surprise that NBA analyst Nick Wright was furious when he called out Iggy for saying that Wallace would be better than Giannis if he played in the modern-day NBA.
(Starts at 3:37):
“This might be the most bats**t insane sports take of the year. I want everyone to understand what Andre Iguodala is saying. He is saying Rasheed Wallace would be far and away, the best player in the NBA right now because that’s what better than Giannis means.
Better than Giannis does not just mean you’re All-NBA. It doesn’t just mean your top five. It means you are clearly and unequivocally the best player in the league because Giannis is clearly and unequivocally the best player in the league. And he’s saying he’d better than him.”
He continued, “Somehow Giannis is still, by some of his peers, a little underrated. Again, it’s nothing against Rasheed Wallace, but there is no era in which Rasheed Wallace would be the best player in basketball. Are there eras where that would have fit his game more than the one he played? Yeah. This era, with the stretch 5s and stretch 4s, his three-point shooting will be even more valuable. That’s all fair and that’s all true.”
As Wright pointed out, Wallace would have certainly been better had he played in today’s era, but by no means would he be better than Giannis.
Iggy seemingly realized that his statement had been misunderstood as he tried to defend it later. But it is too late by now to retract from what he initially said about Wallace and Giannis.
