By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Recent comments by former NBA All-Star Charles Oakley, who Giannis Antetokounmpo would be a bench player in the late 80s and 90s, stirred up a conversation across the league, especially the accomplished players now in retirement.
Tracy McGrady also noted that Giannis would be having a tougher time due to a more cluttered paint, heavily slowing down his transition game. On the other hand, NBA legend and NBA TV analyst Isiah Thomas stood strongly in defense of the reigning champion.
“Absolutely,” Thomas said on whether Giannis would perform at the same level.
“Giannis going around Oakley, Giannis going around all them. He dunkin’ on them. He bigger, he faster, he stronger. You can talk all that stuff ’cause you don’t play no more. You can talk all that stuff ’cause you got gray hair and you sitting on the sidelines, smoking cigars about what you used to do. That dude will dog you ever single time y’all step on the court,” Thomas explained. “He’d be dunkin’ on all them.”
He also went one step further, trying to ‘shut up the haters’, saying Giannis would dominate any era.
“All y’all stop it with ‘he wouldn’t dominate in the 80s.’ We ain’t never seen no dude like this come into our league. And give him his props, give him his credit. He would dog anybody in the 80s, 90s, 2000s and 3020 when we get there.”