NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo Felt ‘Weird’ and Rejected Working Out With LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the greatest basketball players to ever grace a basketball court. His talent, impact on the teams he has played for and his longevity is unhinged. His dedication and his determination for the game that he loves so much is truly unmatched as well.

Even in his 19th season at 37 years of age, he has shown what being a legend means. One modern day player who certainly seems to be capable of reaching those levels in the future is surely Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giannis at 27 years of age has already been the MVP for two consecutive seasons. He has been the MIP for the 2016-17 season. He then also won the Finals MVP for the 2020-21 season when he led his Milwaukee Bucks to the second ever title in the history of the franchise.

Giannis is a great player with amazing strength and a style of play which teams find very difficult to defend. He was also in the three horse race for the MVP for the 2021-22 season. He has an aggressive style of play with his height and physique, he makes sure to use all of it at his disposal. Off the court he is a different personality, which entails his simple sense of humor.

WATCH THIS STORY: Times when Giannis proved why he is the Greek Freak.

However, his outlook on the NBA opponents is clear as always and he once refused to train with LeBron James for a very respectable reason.

Giannis Antetokounmpo once refused to train with LeBron James in the offseason

Giannis once said that he’s not interested in working out with fellow NBA players despite offers to do offseason training alongside the likes of LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. “I can’t work out with you in the summer and then play you in a few months,” Antetokounmpo said. “It feels weird. It doesn’t feel right with me. Like other players, it’s cool for other players, but I don’t. I don’t want to. Other guys do it. I hate it when…” Antetokounmpo said while doing a mock pose for a picture. “I hate that. I don’t want [opponents] to see me to be buddy-buddy with me.”

Also read: The Workout Routine of Milwaukee Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo

“I feel like with LeBron and KD, KD did that to LeBron,” Antetokounmpo told The Athletic about their prior workouts together. “Take a lot of his thoughts and use it against him. And that’s what I don’t want guys doing to me.”

He is clearly not a fan of the overly friendly culture that has developed among the NBA’s elite players in the modern era. Even LeBron James would have been proud with the spirit Giannis has and the desire he possesses of being the best version of himself.