Following a second straight loss to the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo faced criticism from former NBA player-turned-analyst Richard Jefferson, who quickly made the comparison to Scottie Pippen.
Jefferson was quick to invoke the Hall of Famer's name, noting the Bucks star would need his “Michael Jordan” to get through the East. Pippen responded on Thursday, noting he doesn't have what could soon be back-to-back MVP trophies before throwing the question right back at Jefferson:
I’m not Giannis—I don’t have back-to-back league MVPs (he will in a matter of days)—and he’s not me. The question is… who were you as a player? 😂 https://t.co/Ce6tGU98s3
— Scottie Pippen (@ScottiePippen) September 3, 2020
That one has to sting.
Jefferson doesn't have MVPs or even All-Star appearances during his 17-year career, merely an NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a back-end support player.
Scottie Pippen was a terror on both ends, much like the reigning Defensive Player of the Year can be, but even the former Bulls star acknowledges he and Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo are not the same player.
Pippen likely didn't mean any harm responding to Jefferson, but NBA Twitter is having a field day with his response:
— Dee Cook (@DonaldCookJr) September 3, 2020
https://twitter.com/IYourrage/status/1301553534672879619
https://twitter.com/SASBurnerAcct/status/1301553629300690949?s=20
Scottie Pippen surely turned the tables on Jefferson, as the ESPN personality now will have to take that L in silence.
But back to the man of the hour, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who looked extremely dissatisfied with his performance after going down 2-0 to the Heat, with buzzer-beating free throws, no less.
If the Bucks get eliminated before reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, teams like the Heat and the Toronto Raptors could soon pounce on the chance to lure him out of Milwaukee, per recent reports.
For now, let's take the Antetokounmpo comparisons to Pippen off the table until he's held a Larry O'Brien Trophy in his hands.
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