Giannis Antetokounmpo may stand with an athletic build now, but as a debutant, he was nearly skinny. So, when Dirk Nowitzki talks about his build before landing in the NBA, one can only imagine. The former Dallas Mavericks icon recently shared his first impression of Antetokounmpo during his draft year. Both Giannis and Nowitzki’s opinions have had a major transition since then.

Appearing on an episode of the Thanalysis Show, the ex-Mavs star recalled being in the draft room when Giannis was in the draft. As recalled by Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs had a pretty high pick during the time. Meanwhile, one of the GMs intended to draft The Greek Freak. “He puts on the video, and it was this grainy footage from second division in Greece. I’m like, ‘What? This kid is this skinny (points his finger)… That is hilarious. That just shows how far the game has come and the scouts seeing everybody now,'” he said on the Thanalysis Show.

The 2011 NBA champ, however, also mentioned of incredible talent Giannis turned out to be for the league. Notably, The Greek Freak may have had a subpar start to the league with his 6.8 points per game in the rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks. But he was constantly improving every passing season, and by his third season, he stood at 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game, claiming himself the Most Improved Player award. And it’s quite amazing how he furthered his growth arc, winning 2 MVPS and 1 DPOY along the way.

However, not many would know that Giannis saw Dirk Nowitzki as an idol. This came to light during the NBA’s 75th anniversary celebrations, when despite the presence of stars like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson, Antetokounmpo was mostly excited to spend time with the Mavs icon. The Bucks star explained that although sitting next to players like Mike, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony was unreal.

But to him, having the opportunity to sit next to the player who opened a path for players like him was a different feeling. “I watched him play when I was a kid… When he was winning the championship for the Dallas Mavericks. He was one of us. He came from Europe,” Giannis said as per a 2022 article by Basketball World. However, it’s not as if the Bucks star has been the only one to be fond of the Mavs star. Even the NBA champ has admired the kind of player The Greek Freak turned out to be.

The time Dirk Nowitzki defended Giannis against Gilbert Arenas’ criticism

This goes back to the time Arenas criticized the Bucks star for not improving his game. But, the ex-Mavs star could not process what kind of improvement Gil was talking about. For the 2011 NBA champ, Giannis had shown drastic improvement a player could have.

Nowitzki, during a press conference in Milan, recalled the time he thought of Giannis just as another skinny player. “Just to see the growth over him the last couple of years, he has gotten stronger, his skill level improved, and he seems very hungry to still get better, to work hard, to play for his country, work in the summer and come as an even better player the next year,” he added.

The 14x All-Star further highlighted the Bucks star’s championship and MVPs as a mark of a wonderful journey. On being asked about Gil’s comments on Giannis, Dirk Nowitzki went to the extent of stating Giannis as “one of the best players in the world”. So, it’s clear Antetokounmpo has immense respect for the person he considers his own idol.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.