Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most competitive players in the league. He’s had one of the most decorated careers of the last 25 years, pulling in accolade after accolade during his 12-year career.
Antetokounmpo is currently averaging an astounding 31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 60.8% from the field. His production has the Milwaukee Bucks in a good position this season.
Antetokounmpo spoke at a recent press conference where he touched on what he prefers to watch basketball-wise, and his answer may shock you.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Prefers Watching EuroLeague Over NBA
Antetokounmpo has stated before that he’s a fan of overseas basketball, but in his recent press conference, he was very direct about what he prefers to watch:
“I feel like EuroLeague is an incredible league. Very, very talented. Probably the top two, three, four teams in the EuroLeague, they are NBA teams. Let’s say the team that my brother played for, Panathinaikos, they had like nine NBAers.”
EuroLeague is already one of the most popular indoor sports leagues in the world, and with Antetokounmpo giving it this type of praise, one can only imagine more eyes will start to look their way.
With such heavy praise for EuroLeague, the idea that the rest of the world has caught up with the NBA in terms of talent and competition seems as if it could have some merit.
Antetokounmpo Says NBA Competition Level Is Higher Than EuroLeague
While Antetokounmpo was adamant about preferring to watch EuroLeague over the NBA, he made sure to note that the NBA has a higher level of competition.
“No, it’s not the same. I enjoy watching EuroLeague basketball more than I enjoy watching NBA basketball, but the competition level is not the same. The best teams here, like Denver, OKC, Boston, would destroy a lot of EuroLeague teams.
“If you played with FIBA rules, maybe some teams have a chance, for sure. I believe some teams have a chance. But then you can switch it and say if you play with NBA rules, none of those teams have a chance. But if you play with FIBA rules, some teams have a chance, for sure.”
EuroLeague fans can rejoice at the comments by Antetokounmpo because he essentially gave the league ultimate praise. His preference to watch EuroLeague will undoubtedly influence some of his fan base to check it out if they haven’t already.
Despite the comments about the NBA still having the higher level of competition, what would it look like if we ever witnessed EuroLeague vs. NBA pick-up games? Perhaps that’s something to think about for next All-Star weekend.
