There has been a lot of talk about how the NBA has supposedly become soft these days. However, given his elite physicality, many people consider Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo a dominant force that would have thrived in the more physical era of the NBA a decade or two ago.
Well, one person who does not believe this to be the case is the one and only Kendrick Perkins.
Kendrick Perkins Believes Giannis Antetokounmpo Would Not Have Been a Problem For Him
Big Perk recently guested on Patrick Beverley’s podcast and at one point, the former Boston Celtics big man talked about his own resume during his playing days. Perkins flexed the opponents he had to face during his heyday, and according to the one-time NBA champ, only two people in the league today would have been a problem for him:
“I’ve seen better,” Perkins said. “You gotta realize, I’m going against guys like Yao Ming, Shaq, Tim Duncan, Rasheed Wallace, Vin Baker — don’t get it twisted about Vin Baker — Antonio McDyess, Jermaine O’Neal. Like you had to defend.
“Now, guys playing on the low block, the only two people that would give me problems are (Nikola) Jokic and (Joel) Embiid. To be honest, Giannis wouldn’t give me no work on the block. He’ll give me work on the transition part of it, probably the isolation on the wing, but as far as back to the basket — nah man, you heard Kobe talk about me.”
Kendrick Perkins on if he could guard the best big men of the modern era:
“The only two people who would give me problems are Jokic & Embiid… Giannis wouldn’t give me work on the low block.”
Thoughts? 🤔
Via. @PatBevPod / @KendrickPerkins / @patbev21 pic.twitter.com/x6JSCgVLHX
— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) August 19, 2023
Well, I guess it’s safe to say that Big Perk would take himself in his prime in a hypothetical 1-on-1 game against former back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Don’t get him wrong; Perkins actually has a lot of respect for the Bucks talisman. In fact, Big Perk believes that Giannis is going to be the frontrunner for this season’s MVP title. It’s just that Perkins believes that he would have dominated Antetokounmpo if they had a chance to battle on the basketball court.
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