Some older NBA players like Allen Iverson, for example, show lots of love to the current era of players running around the league. Others? Well, let’s just say they’re not as complimentary of them.
But then there are guys like Charles Oakley who are just so committed to hating on today’s players that, really, you just have to respect it.
What did Oak do this time, you ask? Oh, nothing. You know. He’s just trying to convince everyone that Giannis Antetokounmpo — who might be the best player in the NBA today — would come off the bench back in his day.
Off the bench, y’all. Seriously. He went on SLAM’s Pump Fakes podcast and, not only did he say this, but he was dead serious. He believes it.
Charles Oakley says Giannis Antetokounmpo would come off the bench in his era 😯
(Via @SLAMonline | h/t @AhnFireDigital ) pic.twitter.com/K2KD1waL22
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 25, 2022
“He wouldn’t have been a force back in the day…He would’ve struggled. They’d make him shoot jump shots. He wasn’t going to be doing no eurostep to the basket…somebody was going to knock his head off. I’m glad he doing what he doing now but he definitely…he’d have come off th bench back in the days.”
Giannis Anteotkounmpo. Coming off the bench. And getting his head knocked off when he tries to do his eurostep. Make it make sense, y’all.
First of all, Antetokounmpo’s official measurements are nuts. He’s 6’11 and 242 pounds of muscle. Nobody is knocking that dude’s head off. It’s just not happening, no matter how much we romanticize how tough players were back in the day.
He’s also bigger, stronger, taller and faster than most of the NBA today — let alone 30 years ago when Oakley was in his prime. There’s absolutely no way a two-time MVP with his skill and measurements would be coming off the bench in any era. It’s just not happening.
Now, sure. You can argue that Antetokonumpo needed to land in the right spot to have the success that he’s having. And that’s certainly true. But you could say that for just about any great who has ever played.
Oakley is being more than a little ridiculous with this one. And we love Oak over here, but this is wild. NBA fans had to get him out of the paint on this one.
