By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
It was a night to remember in Cleveland, not only because of the All Star Game, but also due to the 75 All-Time NBA players celebration. And in the middle of both, Giannis Antetokounmpo was still trying to realise what he has already achieved as the youngest member of the group, while also meeting for the first time Michael Jordan.
“I’ve never met Michael Jordan before”, said Giannis after the game. “I saw him one time in Charlotte while we were playing a game, but I’ve never had the chance to introduce myself to him. I asked if he was here. They told me he was not here at first, but then I saw him when he came out and I was kind of in shock. Arguably the best player to ever play the game. Man, it was crazy. I just went up there to introduce myself to him. I was kind of surprised he knew who I was. I’m joking. It was fun to just get to shake his hand and talk to him for five seconds. It was fun”.
However, with Giannis coming from Europe and dominating last year’s NBA Finals, it was evident that one of his role models also came from the old continent and he was honored to be in the same company with him.
As the Greek Freak said: “There were only two Europeans in this team, right? That’s even more — that’s insane. Okay, sitting next to Michael Jordan and stuff, that’s great and LeBron and Carmelo, John Stockton, Ray Allen. Having the opportunity to sit next to Dirk, that kind of opened the path for us, that’s even more incredible feeling for me. I watched him play when I was a kid when he was winning the championship for the Dallas Mavericks. He was one of us. He came from Europe. That’s incredible”.
With the NBA becoming more and more a global league and with Giannis having also Nigerian roots, he expressed his wish for an ever more diverse presence of players in the future: “Hopefully Luka, Jokic, more European players can follow Dirk’s lead and my lead and hopefully more African players can follow Hakeem’s lead. In 25 years we’ll do it again and there are going to be more people, not American people, in the group”.
But for now, he can just enjoy the fact that at his 28 years of age, he is already part of the NBA lore: “It was a great feeling. Man, you know, when you start playing basketball when you are young, you never imagine to be next to all these all-time greats. Your name being called, going out there to shake their hands and just stand next to them, interact with them, it was amazing. I kind of teared up on stage because I’m not supposed to be here, man. Being among those guys is — man, it’s crazy”.