As a 2x NBA MVP, it’s safe to say that Giannis Antetokounmpo is pretty darn good at basketball. Just this past season, he averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 55.3% shooting.
But, apparently, there is a player who actually beat him in a one-on-one game 33-0. Giannis recently explained the situation in a sit-down…
“I had a bad experience on the court once. It was a guy that was really, really good… I was 15, he was 19. In front of my friends, on home-court, he said ‘we can play one on one and I bet you you won’t score.’ I said ‘nah, that’s not happening.’ And he beat me, like, 33-0.
I start crying, left the court. After that day, I devloped a mentality like ‘I’m never gonna lose again.'”
It’s a pretty incredible story that raises a number of questions: what happened to this mysterious opponent? How the heck did he stop Giannis (even at 15)?
Needless to say, this guy was obviously insanely good to make Antetokounmpo go scoreless for that long. And, judging from the experience, we can probably say it was the last time the Freak allowed it to happen.
Today, the dude is one of basketball’s best players. On offense, there’s no way to stop him, as his length, size, and skillset finishing around the basket are just too good. On defense, his patience, strength, and athleticism have made him a superior defender.
He’s got to be pretty happy with that, even if it came with some bumps and bruises.
