Former NBA player and current NBA analyst Richard Jefferson believes that it is “disrespectful” to compare Giannis Antetokounmpo to Anthony Davis.
Davis and Antetokounmpo are both All-Stars, but Antetokounmpo has won two MVP awards and an NBA Finals MVP in his career. Davis is an NBA champion, but he does not possess the same individual accolades that the Milwaukee Bucks star does.
"It is disrespectful to Giannis to compare him to Anthony Davis."
😳😶 @Rjeff24 pic.twitter.com/I6b0xkJxvw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 18, 2021
“We’ve had so much conversation about Anthony Davis being a top five player or a top five talent…top 75 ever,” Jefferson said. “I’m going to say this: It is unfair to Anthony Davis to compare him to Giannis. And it is disrespectful to Giannis to compare him to Anthony Davis.
“They are two different individuals with similar body styles, similar skill sets. If anything, I would say that Anthony Davis is more talented than Giannis. He can shoot free throws at an 80 percent clip. He can knock down 3-pointers in the mid 30s. Giannis can do none of those things.
“But you know what Giannis does? Giannis has a dog in him. He has a dog in him that we have not seen from very many players on that side. So, at this point and time, it is just unfair to compare those two players.”
The Bucks and Antetokounmpo defeated Davis and the Lakers on Wednesday night in Milwaukee. Davis finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists, but he was outplayed by the reigning NBA Finals MVP.
Antetokounmpo finished with 47 points in the win, and while Davis is still one of the game’s best players, Jefferson clearly thinks that he isn’t quite on Antetokounmpo’s level.
