NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley showered some high praise on Giannis Antetokounmpo, acknowledging the Nigerian superstar’s humility.
The retired basketball player is currently a TV sports broadcaster and works as one of four panellists on the hit show “Inside The NBA”.
It was on this medium that ‘Chuck’ as he is affectionately referred to, made the huge statement on Antetokounmpo’s character and put him in the same breath as Tim Duncan, one of the true greats of the game.
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Giannis is a great player and even better person
“Other than Tim Duncan, he’s the most humble, quiet superstar I’ve ever been around,” Barkley said about Giannis after the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls 116-100 to win the first-round series 4-1.
Giannis is revered as one of the best players of this generation and will no doubt retire as an all-time great like Charles Barkley who played in a similar position and was also respected as a top talent during his active years.
But it is not often that his character gets brought up even though his humility is clear for all to see, which is what made Barkley’s statement even more important.
“There’s no drama, he’s just a great player and a great person. He just comes to work and wants to play basketball. You got to admire that,” Chuck further stressed.
Is Giannis comparable to Tim Duncan?
Tim Duncan whom Barkley compared Giannis to was a consummate professional and known for being quiet and all about the game while also being one of the best players in the history of the sport.
Duncan won the NBA Championship five times and was finals MVP on three occasions, a feat Giannis has only achieved once each so far.
The Greek freak matches Tim Duncan for character and arguably ability too but he still has a long way to go if he aims to match Duncan’s achievements.