No man is an island but the Greek Freak is no ordinary man.
It’s no longer surprising to see NBA stars from different teams coming together in the offseason to break a sweat. These star-studded workouts and pickup games have been going on for years. Even god-tier hoopers like LeBron James and Kevin Durant take part in this practice. Not too long ago, Golden State Warriors main man Stephen Curry was seen training with Portland Trail Blazers top rookie Scoot Henderson.
All that being said, one NBA superstar isn’t a fan of this particular trend. On the Bleav podcast 48 minutes, Giannis Antetoukounmpo sounded off on the NBA players’ offseason collabs.
“I don't know how to be phony. I don't know how to be fake. That's why I kind of keep my distance because I know that if I work out with people, it takes active players, it takes off my edge when I play against them,” said Antetokounmpo.
Giannis doesn’t mind asking for help on what shoe to wear but it’s not the same when it comes to the game itself. Nonetheless, the Greek Freak’s statement threw NBA fans on X (formerly Twitter) for a loop.
2010 second overall pick Evan Turner immediately hopped on the topic and trolled Giannis and his brother Thanasis who also plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Ain’t nobody coming to Milwaukee to work out with you and your brother," Turner tweeted.
X user @UnderratedZ7 was a bit harsher with his response as he practically said that no one would gain anything from practicing with Giannis who’s not really known for his basketball skills.
“NBA players don’t work out with him because he’s the least skilled player in the association and they’d learn nothing is the actual reason.”
Giannis, though, found an ally in @photomillzLLC.
“Least skilled? Lol, ok. And he still KILLS them. It’s crazy,” he replied.
A couple more Greek Freak supporters came out in his defense.
“Giannis doing nothing wrong,” @mrmug3n posted.
“Pretty smart to be honest,” tweeted @OpinionatedSF19
One fan, however, believes, learning from others will make Giannis a more complete player.
“He wants to stay competitive, so I feel him but it helps your game to work out with other NBA players,” @FeelLikeDrew said.
How about you, guys? Are you with Team Giannis on this one?
(CF)