Giannis Antetokounmpo’s greatness adds a compelling twist to the Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi GOAT debate

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The star player for the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, recently entered the commonly debated discussion regarding the NBA’s Greatest of All Time (GOAT).

In a conversation with Joe Vardon from The Athletic, Giannis picked LeBron James as his choice for the GOAT instead of Michael Jordan. Giannis’s perspective places LeBron as the top pick, despite others who might consider him second-best.

In praising LeBron, Giannis emphasized the significant influence LeBron has, not only within the game but also outside of it.

He referred to LeBron as a blueprint for other NBA stars. Giannis also recognized the often unseen pressures and stress faced by highly-rated athletes, on and off the court.

Considering LeBron’s achievement in becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the previous season, Giannis sees him as an ideal example to follow.

In addition to basketball, Giannis Antetokounmpo recently shared his thoughts about the “greatest of all time” debate in soccer. He declared his choice between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with his vote going to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Known for his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, Giannis made national news. His public endorsement meant a lot, coming from a Greek NBA star of international fame. On his YouTube channel, he further elaborated on why he considers CR7 as the greatest in soccer.

Giannis, while discussing his pick from Portugal’s historically soccer-rich pool of talent, mentioned iconic players, “Luis Figo, Nani, Deco, who was, growing up, one of my favorite players.”

He ultimately chose Ronaldo over the others, quoting, “At the end of the day, you gotta go with the GOAT. One and only Cristiano Ronaldo.”

The NBA champion of 2021 complimented the five-time UEFA Champions League winner Ronaldo by showing admiration for his work ethic. “Any sport he plays, he’s probably good at it. He is so competitive.

He is so driven…” the 2x MVP trial blazed. At his age of 37 or 38, playing at such a high level is profoundly impressive,” Giannis highlighted. He concluded with, “So, I’ll go with the GOAT, Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Football Passion and Sporting Influences

As reported by Goal India, the NBA luminary once unabashedly expressed his fondness for soccer, even revealing his preferred team and player.

“I used to be a fan of Arsenal, and Thierry Henry was my favorite player,” he admitted. “While I support Arsenal, I also admired PSG when Zlatan Ibrahimovic was part of the team,” he added.

Thierry Henry’s time at Arsenal was quite a while ago. Still, with him having guided his team to an unprecedented unbeaten season in the Premier League, it’s understandable why Giannis Antetokounmpo cherishes that time.

Though Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s influence on PSG may not be as profound as Henry’s was on Arsenal, his dynamic personality and scoring prowess certainly appealed to spectators.

In a surprising admission, Antetokounmpo professed that he might have pursued a soccer career had his basketball aspirations not panned out.

“If I weren’t successful in basketball, I would have become a soccer player,” acknowledged the Bucks standout.

He has occasionally demonstrated an affinity for the international sport, even on an NBA court.

A couple of years ago, during a game, the power forward unexpectedly performed a football juggling act with a basketball, captivating the audience.