Bucks Zone

"Even Jordan did not play with that type of effort every single night" - Charles Barkley praises Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Hall-of-Famer had kind words for the Bucks superstar.
Matthew Dugandzic|
"Even Jordan did not play with that type of effort every single night" - Charles Barkley praises Giannis Antetokounmpo
"Even Jordan did not play with that type of effort every single night" - Charles Barkley praises Giannis Antetokounmpo

In this story:

Milwaukee Bucks

Charles Barkley is one of the best big men to ever play in the NBA. And so, if he heaps praise on someone, it certainly does carry a lot of weight.

Barkley had nothing but kind words for Milwaukee Bucks' superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the recent edition of 'Inside the NBA.'

Sir Charles loves Giannis

Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star, said the Greek Freak is a workhorse that does almost everything for the Bucks every single game, night in and night out. And yet, according to Barkley, Antetokounmpo is not getting the credit he deserves.

"We take this kid Giannis for granted," the two-time NBA MVP said.

Barkley compared Antetokounmpo to Los Angeles Lakers' Russell Westbrook, whose work ethic on the court earned him the most triple-double performances by an NBA player.

"Other than Russell Westbrook, I'm talking about the great players... I have never seen a player play hard every single night like them two guys," Barkley said.

Comparing to MJ

Barkley said even NBA great Michael Jordan did not show the same tenacity that Antetokounmpo shows on both ends of the floor.

"Even he [Jordan] did not play with that type of effort every single night. He did not," the Hall of Famer said.

This season, a look at Giannis' numbers shows that Barkley's praises hold water. Antetokounmpo owns the fourth-highest scoring average in the NBA right now, with 31.0 points per game. He is second in rebounding with 11.9 a game while also averaging 5.3 assists per contest.

The two-time All-Star has helped the Bucks tally the second-best record in the Eastern Conference with 29 wins and 16 losses. Milwaukee is just 4.5 games behind the Boston Celtics, who are 34-12.

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.