Alonzo Mourning identifies 1 physical standout who could dominate 90s era: "He's cut up like I was"
NBA legend and Miami Heat Vice President of Player Programs Alonzo Mourning recently named which modern-day basketball star he believes could've kept up during the '90s era. Ever since the league transitioned to a less physical brand of basketball, many legends from the earlier days feel like the players of today wouldn't survive back then.
However, there are a select few who perhaps could.
During a segment in the latest episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq" on Friday, Alonzo Mourning highlighted Giannis Antetokounmpo as the modern player he thinks could've survived the '90s.
"You know what, Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. I think just how hard he goes. He takes a beating. I think Giannis man. He's cut up like I was. Yeah, I can see that," Mourning said.
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Comparing Alonzo Mourning and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Alonzo Mourning recently claimed that Giannis Antetokounmpo could've kept up with the NBA's '90s era given their similarities. During Mourning's younger years, he was one of the players who had the best-looking physique. Mourning then backed up his looks with his physical prowess inside the paint.
Looking at Antetokounmpo, he's in a similar situation with a young Mourning. The "Greek Freak" arguably has one of the best physiques in the league today and is almost unstoppable when playing inside the paint. The only major difference between the two is their ability to score.
While he was most known for his defense, Mourning was a versatile player who could average above 20 points a game. His best season was in 1998-99 when he averaged 20.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. This resulted in Mourning's first Defensive Player of the Year award and his placing second in the regular-season MVP ladder.
Giannis Antetokunmpo pulled off something similar in his career, but the results were undoubtedly better. Antetokounmpo won both the regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the 2019-20 season. He averaged 29.5 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.0 bpg.
Comparing their numbers in the similar seasons they had, it's clear that Antetokounmpo had more scoring opportunities while Mourning focused on erasing shots. One thing they have in common though is their accuracy from beyond the arc. Mourning averaged 24.7% shooting from long distance in his career while Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.6% in his career so far.
Do you think Giannis Antetokounmpo would have been able to handle himself on the court in the 90s era? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.