Gilbert Arenas defies Giannis Antetokounmpo's comment on Michael Jordan's career
After being eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo went to battle with a reporter during his post-game press conference. The reporter asked him whether he considered this season to be a failure. The former two-time MVP did not mince words with his response
Antetokounmpo said that just because the Bucks lost in the first round, it didn't mean the season was a failure. You either win or you learn from your failures. It appears that the Bucks will use this season as a teaching moment.
Many have disagreed with Antetokounmpo's assessment. The team finished the regular season with the best record in the league. They should've put up more of a fight in the playoffs.
During a recent episode of 'The Dan Patrick Show', NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas weighed in on Giannis Antetokounmpo's comments.
"When Jordan was in position to win championships he didn't actually fail. The other years his team wasn't good enough to win championships, right? So if we're talking about if the 96 Bulls lost, yes that would've been a failure.
"Golden State 73 win, that was a failure because you clearly are the best team in Basketball you didn't make it out of the first round."
Although the Bucks didn't put up a historic season, they entered the playoffs as one of the favorites to win the championship.
You can see his comments in the video below, beginning around the 4:30 mark:
What did Giannis Antetokounmpo say when asked if this season was a failure?
Given the debate surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo's comments, let's take a look at what he said following the Bucks' elimination.
"It's not a failure; it's steps to success," Antetokounmpo said. "There's always steps to it. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championships. The other nine years was a failure? That's what you're telling me? It's a wrong question.
"There's no failure in sports. There's good days, bad days. Some days you're able to be successful, some days you're not. Some days it's your turn, some days it's not your turn. And that's what sports is about. You don't always win. Sometimes other people win. And this year somebody else is going to win, simple as that."
(Suggested Reading: Other pro athletes throw support behind Giannis Antetokounmpo after controversial press conference statements)
Shaquille O'Neal disagreed with Giannis Antetokounmpo's comments on the 'NBA on TNT' post-game broadcast. He said that while 'The Greek Freak' isn't a failure as a player, the goal as a professional is to win championships. By not winning a championship, you come up short of the ultimate goal.
Only time will tell if this offseason helps Antetokounmpo and the Bucks regain their form.
You can watch O'Neal's full rebuttal to the Milwaukee superstar below:
"He's not a failure of a player, but is it a failure of a season? I would say yes."
-Shaq on Giannis and the Bucks falling in the first round to the Heat https://t.co/XKRt2GNfmv