Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo showed his humility when asked for his take on Dirk Nowtizki’s recent revelation on why the Dallas Mavericks did not draft him back in 2013.
When asked for his opinion on NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki’s revelation of regret for not drafting him for the Mavs in 2013, Bucks’ Antetokounmpo showed humility by agreeing with the sentiment, saying that he wouldn’t draft himself back then, too.
“I don’t know if I would have drafted myself,” Antetokounmpo said. “Back then, he was a great player, his legacy has been tremendous. He, you know, paved the path for a lot of players from Europe.”
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Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized how the world and the NBA looked at European players. Back then, basketball players from Europe coming to the United States were stereotyped to be “soft” players as they often lacked the aggressiveness most local players had.
Nowitzki broke this stereotype with his tough style of play and competitiveness, which in turn encouraged more players of European descent to take a leap into a career inside the NBA.
European players of this generation who credit Nowitzki as one of their major influences, aside from Giannis, included Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic.
When pressed for more of his take, the Greek Freak credited the Mavs for still getting a great European player.
“Not all GMs in the league make the best decisions,” Giannis said. “They didn’t get me but they got Luka (Doncic). So, it’s okay.”
Nowitzki Thought Giannis Antetokounmpo was “Too Skinny”
Back during the 2013 NBA Draft, during the 13th pick that was for the Dallas Mavericks, one of the Mavs’ executives recommended Antetokounmpo for their pick, but Nowitzki went against it, so the then Greek rookie went to the Milwaukee Bucks instead, where he proved to be a capable and reliable player.
Recalling the event, the 14-time NBA All-Star said it was “hilarious” how Antetokounmpo’s film looked so grainy, and how he compared the young player’s build to a finger.
“He put on the video, and it was this grainy footage from [the] second division in Greece,” the German legend recalled. “I’m like, ‘What? This kid is this skinny (points his finger). ”That is hilarious. That just shows how far the game has come and the scouts [are] seeing everybody now.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently the top average scorer in the league for the 2024-2025 season, with an average of 32.7 points per game, he’s 5th in the league in average rebounds at 11.5, and 5th for field goal percentage at 61.4%.
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