NBA
Giannis Appreciates LeBron ’70s Compliment But Disagrees
Vivek Jacob is a freelance sports writer with over seven years experience. During this time, he has written for outlets including The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Sportsnet, CBC, and Complex. Primarily covering the NBA, Vivek also covers tennis, soccer, and cricket.
Get to know Vivek Jacob betterPublished29 Mar 2025
Giannis Antetokounmpo appreciates LeBron James suggesting on The Pat McAfee Show that he would score 250 points in a game in the 1970s but disagrees.
He did start with a sarcastic response when first answering, though.
“I think it’s a wrong take, I don’t know, I think if I played in the ’70s it’d probably be more 275, not 250,” Antentokounmpo said. “No, I’m joking. Great compliment but I don’t like comparing eras. It’s not fair and if I played in the ’70s, how everyone practiced and how everybody played, we would’ve played the same way. That’s all you knew at the time so the game evolves. So, we got to 2020 and we know more.
Antetokounmpo went on to explain subtle differences like a player of Karl-Anthony Towns’ size being able to trail the play so he can catch and shoot. Big men of yesteryear only operated in the paint.
“I wish in this era right now, 2025, I wish I could score 250 points today. But, yeah, I don’t think it’s fair to compare because I’d probably play the same way that they played in the ’70s. It’s a great compliment coming from one of the best players in the league, it’s definitely a great compliment, appreciate it.”
Antetokounmpo’s Game Would Likely Translate
While Antetokounmpo makes a good point about the uniqueness of a Towns, the Greek superstar is probably one player from the modern generation who you can see fitting into the ’70s seamlessly.
Antetokounmpo leads the league in points in the paint, an aspect that would make him a hot, if not the hottest, commodity in the ’70s. Now, would he have had a workout regimen that would turn him from the skinny kid who was drafted in 2013 to the hulking figure he possesses today? That’s a worthy question.
The 30-year-old is averaging 30.2 points, 12.0 rebounds. 6.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks this season. He is also shooting 60 percent from the field.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the most dominant player in the ’70s, averaging 28.6 points, 14.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals between ’69-70 and ’78-79.
