"No. 1 Brazilian player in the world" - NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo makes claim about Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has dubbed Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr as the number-one Brazilian player in the world.
The Brazilian winger recently attended the Milwaukee Bucks' match against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday (December 26). Antetokounmpo gave a stellar performance against the Nets' as he recorded 32 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks on 83.3% shooting in just 30 minutes.
After the match ended, in which the Bucks took down the Nets (144-122), the basketball star gifted Vinicius Jr a pair of game-worn shoes and his signed jersey. In addition to that, Antetokounmpo lauded the Real Madrid star and said that he's the best Brazilian player in the world. He said (via Goal.com):
“My brother, shoes. One second, I give you the jersey. You get the whole package. You get the whole package, my brother. I appreciate you. Thank you for coming. No. 1 Brazilian player in the world. No. 1, right here. No. 1.,”
Before meeting Giannis Antetokounmpo, Vinicius Jr also met Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James. The two Nike athletes exchanged jerseys and the video clips were posted by the NBA's social media handle.
The football star also took to Instagram and uploaded a series of pictures, where he can be seen exchanging jerseys with LeBron James. He captioned the picture:
"Child's Dream!!! Idol!!!"
Vinicius Jr is currently sidelined due to an Injury he suffered during international duty. He is ruled out for ten weeks of action and is expected to make his return before the end of January.
Real Madrid joins Liverpool and Arsenal in the race to sign young defender: Report
Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid are reportedly looking forward to signing Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio in the January transfer window. David Alaba recently suffered an ACL injury, which has ruled him for a long spell.
As a result of his left-footed nature, Inacio is being seen by Los Blancos as the long-term successor of the former Bayern Munich defender. Moreover, Eder Militao also suffered an ACL injury earlier this year, which has sidelined him for a while.
The Sporting CP defender's release clause is expected to be around €60 million. However, according to MARCA, Liverpool and Arsenal are also interested in signing the 22-year-old. Liverpool defender Joel Matip's contract is set to expire in January, and as a result, the Reds have also been interested in signing Inacio.