With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama reaching the knockout stage of the Paris Olympics, many were hoping to see the battle of the bigs in the next round. While Wemby held his end of the deal and put up another dominant performance, propelling France into the semi-final, Giannis failed to get Greece past the first knockout game against an undefeated German squad. Although we missed out on the Giannis vs. Wemby encounter, The Greek Freak was impressed by the 20-year-old’s performance so far and predicted a bright future for him.

Reflecting on what Wemby has achieved both in the NBA and the international stage, Giannis made a bold claim about the Spurs superstar. “He has a chance to be one of the best. Not at his age, not in Europe… But one of the best to ever play this game,” he told Boardroom. By now, everyone has realized that there has never been a player like Victor. Standing at 7’4”, he took over the hoops universe from when he was drafted No. 1 last year. In his rookie year, he averaged 21.4 points and nearly 11 rebounds, leading the league in blocks with 3.6 a night. As expected, he took home the ROTY honors.

But his dominance was not limited just to the NBA. Playing in his first-ever Olympics, Wemby has exceeded expectations so far. Upon his debut against Brazil, he shocked everyone with a 19-point performance while leading the game with 9 rebounds. He also made his presence known on the defensive end, adding 4 steals and 3 blocks to the stat sheet. Proving that the first time was not a fluke, he scored two consecutive double-doubles in the next two games, helping France finish the group stage with a 2-1 record!

Even during the quarter-final against Canada, Wemby had a great all-around performance with 7 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and 5 assists. And in the era of social media, a player like the young Frenchman is sure to be an instant hit because of his insane highlight reels and unique skillset. So, Giannis’ prediction, even though bold, might end up being true a few years down the line.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominant Olympics run

Well, Wemby is not the only player who has made a huge impact in his first Olympics. As it turns out, this was also the first time we saw Giannis playing at the prestigious event. And he did not disappoint. While Greece was only able to win one out of four games and got eliminated in the quarter-final, it was by no means The Greek Freak’s fault. Averaging a monster 27 points along with nearly 8 rebounds in the group stage, Antetokounmpo brought great intensity into every game and led his team to the knockout stage.

Even during the quarter-final against Germany, he was the best player on the court as he finished with a game-high 22 points. Unfortunately, his team was not well equipped to defeat the reigning FIBA World Cup winners. But in just 4 appearances, Giannis proved that he is still one of the best players in the world. And fans will surely await his encounter with Wemby when the NBA season begins.

Although Giannis was unable to bring a medal for his country, this was an experience he will cherish his entire life. It was just a few weeks ago when he won over his national team’s hearts by gifting every member brand new signature Nike Freak 6 sneakers ahead of the tournament. And to go from that wholesome moment to competing together for their country in Paris, Giannis has made some lifelong relationships with his fellow countrymen. In the words of Giannis himself, his first Olympics was a “great experience”.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger