With Traits Like 7ft NBA Veteran, Giannis Antetokounmpo?s On-Court Prowess Once Hit Isiah Thomas With Basketball Nostalgia

With the new NBA season starting in less than a few days, Giannis Antetokounmpo?s pre-season performances have been very impressive. Giannis is the 2021 NBA Finals MVP who looks to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to its second NBA Championship in the last 53 years.?

In a recent social media post, Isiah Thomas compares Giannis Antetokounmpo?s On-Court Prowess to a Houston Rockets legend.

Isiah Thomas has high praise for Giannis Antetokounmpo

In a recent ?X? post of ?NBA TV?, NBA Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas compares the reigning Finals MVP to former Houston Rockets star Ralph Sampson in the first episode of “Run It Back“.

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Isiah Thomas says in the video, ?When you think about Giannis?the first thing you think about is, of course, his size, in terms of being 7 feet tall. Then you realize what a gifted passer he is. Not only a gifted passer but also a gifted ball handler. He became a champion and we saw him dominate in the finals as well.?.

Isiah Thomas further says, ?7 footers like that?they don?t come often. And when they do, they really do change the game?the one player that really reminds me of Giannis is Ralph Sampson.?.

Isiah Thomas explains that Ralph Sampson was 7 feet 4 inches tall and could do everything. He could dribble, pass, shoot jump shots, and dunk, and was very skilled at all of them. He mentioned, ?Bill Russell made the comment that Ralph Sampson if he reaches his potential, will be talked about and considered as one of the greatest players to ever play.?.

Ralph Sampson was one of the most dominant players to have played in the league for a short time before he got injured.

Ralph Sampson?s NBA career

Isiah Thomas mentions that the 80?s Houston Rockets team was one of the most dangerous teams because of two players who were famously together called the ?Twin Towers?. Hakeem Olajuwon standing at 7?1 feet and Ralph Sampson 7?4 feet were not just extremely tall but extremely skilled basketball players.?

Hakeem Olajuwon went on to have a decorated NBA career but Ralph Sampson became one of NBA?s greatest ?What-Ifs?. After entering the league in 1983, he put up 21 points, 11 rebounds, and? 2.4 blocks in his rookie season.

He even had 4 All-Star selections in the first 4 years of his NBA career. However, despite being gifted by basketball gods, the 7-footer?s path to greatness got derailed by his knee injury. After having played NBA games with a bad knee (and rushing rehab), he was unable to fully recover from several knee and back injuries. He retired in 1992.

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But had he remained healthy, the NBA landscape would?ve definitely looked very different than what it is now. Let us know your thoughts in the comments!