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USA Today via Reuters

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USA Today via Reuters

Giannis Antetokounmpo is an old-school player who uses his size to dominate the game. His gameplay resides to more brute style rather than having a jump shot. While it has worked for the Greek Freak, NBA legend Tracy McGrady believes it won’t have worked well in his era.

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The NBA fans did not take it well and brought up the argument of Shaquille O’Neal, who was one of the most dominant forces in the history of the league.

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Antetokounmpo often adds to his game every off-season. He keeps on improving and strives to be the best. While he is the dominant player in the league today, he does have some weaknesses. And one of them is not having a consistent jump shot.

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USA Today via Reuters

However, for McGrady to say he wouldn’t dominate in his era may be a bit of a stretch.

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Did Shaquille O’Neal not dominate?

Recently, while speaking to Shaq on his podcast, T-Mac said Giannis would struggle in his era. He said due to his play style of coming down the lane, it would be tough for him to prevail. And NBA fans were quick to get on the Hall of Famer for making such a claim.

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The old era was dominated by big men. Players like Shaq, Hakeem, and David Robinson were dominating in T-Mac’s era. As centers, they never relied on a jump shot, but rather their size and post-work. For Giannis, he has great footwork and is almost unstoppable in the paint. Even Shaquille O’Neal said Giannis is a better player than him.

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In the past era, the big men used their size to bullet defenders and make their way. This is similar to what Giannis is doing in this era. The Greek Freak knows how to make his way into the paint and from there on out he is unstoppable. He showed his dominance in the finals last season playing some of the most dominating two-way basketball.

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So with all things in, how would Giannis do?

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Could Giannis Antetokounmpo dominate?

There is almost no doubt that the Greek Freak would dominate in the era of big men. Giannis is a superstar in today’s league with one of the most stacked resumes. Despite being only 27, Antetokounmpo has won 2 MVP’s, a finals MVP and a DPOY. There aren’t many players in the history of the league to have these achievements under their belt.

Moreover, Giannis is still developing his game and developing a jump shot. He has constantly worked to get better with each coming year and this year he is shooting the three much more. Hence, if the Freak can develop a jump shot, he could potentially become one of the biggest forces the NBA has ever come across.

Do you think Giannis would dominate in the old era? Let us know in the comments below.

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Anuj Talwalkar

4,496 Articles

Anuj Talwalkar is a senior NBA Newsbreak specialist at EssentiallySports, trusted for his real-time coverage and fast, accurate updates on league developments. With five NBA seasons and two Olympics coverages under his belt, Anuj stands out as the go-to reporter for the NBA Matchday Newsdesk. As part of the EssentiallySports Journalistic Excellence Program, he continuously refines his hard reporting with grounded storytelling shaped by fan culture and court-level insights. An economics graduate and lifelong OKC fan since the Supersonics era, Anuj combines analytical thinking and a genuine passion for basketball. He’s recognized for both his live news coverage and feature writing, with aspirations to someday interview Russell Westbrook. Anuj’s reporting is marked by its reliability, depth, and strong connection to the pulse of the NBA.

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