Giannis Antetokounmpo was diplomatic in his response to James Harden‘s dig at his basketball skills.
“My game is not just power,” Antetokounmpo said, outlining all the work he put in to develop a well-rounded offensive repertoire.
The Greek Freak had 32 points, 13 rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes Friday night to lead the Milwaukee Bucks past the visiting OKC Thunder 133-86.
Per The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“Amazing,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “I don’t know who is criticizing him. He’s a winner. He brings it in every way, shape and form. He brings it in practice, in the locker room, he’s a great leader, he’s a great player. He does everything.”
It was an astoundingly casual but undoubtedly dominant performance for the reigning MVP, one in which he didn’t just dunk over everyone.
“My game is not just power, for sure,” Antetokounmpo said. “I came in when I 18, I was 180 pounds. To power through big guys, it’s kind of tough. Obviously, there’s going to be times you got to power through guys.
“Like, one of the best players – LeBron [James], Michael Jordan, Kobe [Bryant], all those guys, [Shaquille O’Neal], all those guys – they were extremely physical when they played. They made their presence felt in the paint, but obviously I try to work on my game – midrange shots, threes, being able to screen-and-roll faster, make the right pass. It’s hard to drive full speed and try to make the right pass to the corner. Trying to get my passing more accurate and there’s a lot of things I’m still adding. Hopefully, when I add all those things to my game I’m a more complete player and I can help my team win games easier.”
