The NBA world loves to dabble in hypotheticals. From who would win a series between the 1996 Chicago Bulls and the 2018 Golden State Warriors to who would win a one-on-one matchup between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, there is no end to the imagination of the NBA community when it comes to conjuring up every scenario known to man.
One of the more intriguing "what ifs" in recent memory was when legendary big man Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was asked about who would win a one-on-one matchup between himself and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokoumpo.
The legendary big man made an appearance on Milwaukee's WISN-TV news and, in true Kareem fashion, was humble in his response.
"I have no idea. I'm a little bit taller than Giannis, so that might help. That would have been an interesting matchup if I could have learned all the requisite skills. His approach to the game is so radically different, but it's working. I think that is very interesting," he said .
The hook
Abdul-Jabbar became renowned for his signature hook shot, which has never been replicated with the same efficiency to this day. Many stars have tried to add the move to their offensive repertoire, but none have been able to master it to the point where it becomes a consistent part of their scoring arsenal.
In addition to taking the modest route in his response about the potential one-on-one matchup, Kareem also didn't pass up the opportunity to give Giannis his blessing to use his own move against him.
"He could certainly use it in the post. He is long, and if he can use the shot, he can do it in the post, and it would help him. If you have the height advantage, the hook shot is a great shot to use if you have those skills," the Hall of Famer added.
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Same, same, but different
When people compare the likes of Kobe and Michael Jordan, although at times it can get exhausting, there is always a logical and tangible comparison between their similarities. But when it comes to Kareem versus Giannis , besides both being Bucks legends, their playing styles couldn't be further apart.
While Abdul-Jabbar played exclusively out of the low post and was methodical in his approach as a true center, "The Greek Freak" is a hybrid big man with guard-type skills. Everything from their bodies to their abilities is divergent, making this comparison one of the more bizarre. We have never seen Giannis be an efficient post scorer like Kareem, and we've never seen Kareem tear down a rebound and go coast-to-coast in three dribbles before dunking on the entire defense, either.
Of course, it's always fun to play Fantasy Maker and put one legend up against another in a hypothetical one-on-one battle. However, it's far more useful to dissect what they do on the floor. To his credit, at least Kareem was kind enough to entertain the conversation.
That said, most people would probably pick the Los Angeles Lakers great in this hypothetical scenario. How would Antetokounmpo react to that? He'd probably just brush it off. After all, "The Greek Freak" knows how great of a player he is and is used to people taking his game for granted.
"I've never seen a player that other teams create defense for him ever. Shaq played his game, Kobe played his game, Jordan played his game, KD played his game, LeBron played his game, only one player made the other team create walls for him and it's Giannis Antetokounmpo. So yes, you are witnessing greatness. Thank you so much," he said in an interview with Complex.
Giannis was never one to disrespect his predecessors. Meanwhile, Kareem has always praised today's NBA superstars, unlike some of the other NBA legends who continue to diminish their greatness.
Modesty aside, Abdul-Jabbar would probably enter his matchup with "The Greek Freak" certain he'd come out victorious. The same goes for the Bucks superstar. Can you blame them?
Related: Giannis credits Vassilis Spanoulis for changing his approach to the game: "I didn't see the fire in your eyes. Your defense wasn't good enough"
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