“I want to be like Tim Duncan; Where the hell is Tim Duncan?!” - Giannis Antetokounmpo issues eye-opening response when asked about his retirement plans

Giannis Antetokounmpo is easily one of the most popular NBA players in the world. “The Greek Freak” is an unquestioned superstar that has thousands, if not millions, of followers across the globe.

The two-time MVP, however, doesn’t want that kind of adoration from fans, particularly when he retires. Giannis Antetokounmpo candidly, albeit half-jokingly, told SiriusXM NBA Radio what he wants when he leaves basketball:

“I want to be like Tim Duncan. Where the hell is Tim Duncan? Where is Tim? I don't know where Tim is. I wanna be like him! I want to play the game and then you forget about me. You don’t talk about me, leave me alone.”

Tim Duncan is the legendary San Antonio Spurs power forward who was a household name for nearly two decades while in the NBA. Except for a single year as one of Gregg Popovich’s assistant coaches, he has largely been AWOL since retirement. He didn’t even personally come to accept his recognition as a member of the league’s 75th Anniversary team.

For 19 straight years, “The Big Fundamental” never missed the playoffs. When the basketball world was tuning in to the NBA’s postseason wars, Duncan was a guaranteed presence. He was a superstar who never craved the spotlight and retired without even making a press conference.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a witness to the crazy world that surrounds some of the all-time greats, which is something he would rather avoid:

“You see MJ [Jordan], you see Magic [Johnson], you see these all-time greats that when they retire, people still know them, follow them up and all that. I don’t know if I can do that.”

Retirement, however, is still miles ahead of Antetokounmpo. There is no escaping his popularity right now, especially with his jaw-dropping performances in the playoffs and this year’s EuroBasket. He topped ESPN’s rankings for the top 100 players in the NBA and is predicted to be the league’s best for the next five years.

Unless he is sidelined due to injuries or for any other reason, Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to live with his popularity.

---

Tim Duncan isn’t too shabby of a role model for Giannis Antetokounmpo to follow

Tim Duncan is the yardstick by which all power forwards are measured. [photo: New York Times]

Tim Duncan is widely considered the best power forward in the NBA. TD’s resume speaks for itself. He’s a five-time champ who never missed the playoffs throughout his career and is a three-time Finals MVP.

Perhaps Duncan’s greatest achievement was making the San Antonio Spurs a consistent title threat during the era of the Shaq and Kobe Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant arguably could have won more championships had it not been for the quiet and unassuming talent wearing silver and black.

The similarities between Tim Duncan and Giannis Antetokounmpo are quite uncanny. They both play for small market teams, do not seek the limelight and are very loyal to their respective teams.

Like Duncan, Giannis Antetokounmpo has no qualms about being coached hard and only cares about winning. Both are very humble, selfless and the kind of franchise cornerstones players love to play with.

The Greek international is already tied with TD with two NBA MVP trophies but is still a long way off from the number of championships. Antetokounmpo’s trajectory is staggering, but if he can just replicate Duncan’s accomplishments, he could be firmly in the top 10 greatest NBA players of all time.

Recommended Video

Guess the Lakers players!