"That dude would dog you every single time" - Isiah Thomas hits back at Charles Oakley for suggesting Giannis Antetokounmpo would have come off the bench in 80s
Isiah Thomas has slammed Charles Oakley for suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo would not have dominated in the 80s.
Oakley is undoubtedly a legend of the game, having played at the highest level for 19 years. However, his take on the reigning Finals MVP seemed a tad too critical and extreme, considering the way the Greek Freak has played during his nine seasons in the league.
Speaking about the two-time MVP, 'Oak' said on an episode of Slam's No Pump Fakes show:
“He doing his thing, man. I was skeptical because he couldn't make a jump shot or a free throw. But after what he did last year, he won me over... He wouldn't have been a force back in the day. He would have struggled. They would make him shoot jump shots. He wouldn't be doing no Euros to the basket and just get layups. Somebody gonna knock his head off.”
Charles Oakley says Giannis Antetokounmpo would come off the bench in his era 😯
(Via @SLAMonline | h/t @AhnFireDigital ) https://t.co/K2KD1waL22
Unsurprisingly, his statement did not sit well with many legends of the game. One of them, a legend of the 80s, was Isiah Thomas.
The two-time NBA champion was the epitome of brilliance during the era of physical basketball. He led the Detroit Pistons to consecutive NBA championships, and was the poster boy of the Bad Boy Pistons team. Slamming Oakley for his take on Antetokounmpo, Thomas said:
"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. You may hit him hard. Okay. Aight. After you hit him hard, you ain’t got no game. You ain’t got no game.”
Isiah Thomas is one of the best point guards in the game and after his illustrious career, he stayed close to the game, and made an entry to television. He is one of the best analysts in the game, so his take on Antetokounmpo makes sense.
Thomas believes the Greek Freak would have been a top player in the 80s. He also added that Antetokounmpo would dominate in any era he plays. The NBA legend said in this regard:
"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."
DENIED BY GIANNIS 🚫 https://t.co/moWL4vrogY
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo win his third MVP trophy this season?
Giannis Antetokounmpo has continued his brilliant exploits from last season, and is once again having another terrific campaign.
The 27-year-old is averaging 29.4 PPG, 11.4 RPG and 6.0 APG in 51 appearances. He is second in terms of efficiency, and is the only player other than Nikola Jokic to average more than 25 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 5.0 APG this season.
He is currently third in the MVP race, behind Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, but with 20 games still left, he could usurp them. Antetokounmpo has also had a phenomenal year at the defensive end, and is in conversation to win the DPOY trophy for the second time in his career.
Giannis in 28 minutes tonight:
26 PTS
16 REB
6 AST
2 STL
4 BLK
14-14 FT
It’s his 5th 25/15/5 game in less than 30 minutes played. No other player since the three-point era (1980) has more than one. https://t.co/R3sffp8Abx
Antetokounmpo has worked extremely hard to get where is right now, and nothing can take that away from him. He will be looking to keep all the outside noise aside as he seeks to win another championship for the Milwaukee Bucks.