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Richard Jefferson has defended Giannis Antetokounmpo from Gilbert Arenas' criticism. The former NBA player called out his former college teammate for his comments about the Milwaukee Bucks superstar.
On a recent episode of the "Road Trippin'" podcast, the crew of Jefferson, Channing Frye and Allie Clifton discussed Arenas' comments. Jefferson explained that Antetokounmpo has improved his game on a yearly basis since he arrived. He also kind of took an NSFW (not safe for work) shot at his former Arizona teammate.
"Gilbert's being a little d**k and he might break it down," Jefferson said. "Is his three-point shot gonna be poor or better? It's like bro, okay, we get it, but let's talk about wins. Let's talk about impact on games. Let's talk about intensity, defense, offense.
"He is the best two-way player on the planet and it ain't even close. It ain't even close."
Despite defending Giannis Antetokounmpo, Richard Jefferson also shared his only criticism of the two-time MVP. Jefferson wants Antetokounmpo to reach the standard he set for himself when he dropped 50 points in Game 6 of the 2021 NBA Finals.
"Giannis has reached the space where he is so special," Jefferson said. "He has reached heights that very few have ever reached, so that's the standard we hold him to. ... I judge Giannis by the way he performs on the court in the biggest moments because he's done it before."
Antetokounmpo had an MVP-caliber campaign last season. He averaged 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He shot 55.3% from the field, 29.3% from beyond the arc and 72.2% from the free throw line.
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Greece in EuroBasket opener
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece opened the EuroBasket tournament against Croatia. Antetokounmpo led his national team to a 89-95 victory. He had 27 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. He struggled from the field, but still managed to help Greece in a lot of ways.
Tyler Dorsey added 27 points, five rebounds and three steals for Greece. Meanwhile, Jaleen Devon Smith had 23 points, five rebounds and four assists for Croatia. Utah Jazz player Bojan Bogdanovic put up 19 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
Antetokounmpo and Greece are in Group C with Croatia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Italy and Estonia. The group's games are scheduled from Sept. 2 to 8 in Milan, Italy. The top four teams will advance to the knockout stages of the tournament.
Greece has three NBA players on their roster. Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo play for the Milwaukee Bucks, while Dorsey is a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Croatia also has three NBA players — Bogdanovic, Ivica Zubac of the LA Clippers and Dario Saric of the Phoenix Suns.
Other NBA players from Group C play for Ukraine. They include Alex Len of the Sacramento Kings and Svi Mykhailiuk, who was recently waived by the Toronto Raptors.
