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Charles Oakley Says Giannis Antetokounmpo Would Have Been A Bench Player In His Era

Giannis Antetokounmpo has already proved that he can be a dominant force without being much of a threat around the perimeter. He has been successful in his own right, establishing a career with an NBA championship, a Finals MVP, two MVP trophies, one DPOY award and six NBA All-Star selections.

However, many people remain critical of the Milwaukee Bucks superstar and appear to be less than impressed with his brand of basketball. One of those people is former New York Knicks power forward Charles Oakley. 

Oakley, who’s known for his defense and toughness, understands what it was like to play in era where spacing was limited and players have more freedom to be physical. Appearing on No Pump Fakes podcast, Oakley (ridiculously) claimed that the 27-year old Bucks champion wouldn’t have been a force back then.

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“He is doing his thing. 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 days. He would have struggled. They would make him shoot jump shots. He wouldn’t be doing any euros to the basket. I’m glad he’s doing what he’s doing now. He would have been coming off the bench back in the day,” Oakley said.

Charles Oakley says Giannis Antetokounmpo would come off the bench in his era

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— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 25, 2022