George Karl went all guns blazing on social media today. He seemingly schooled an NBA fan, who had criticized Karl’s opinions on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 71-year-old Hall of Famer had earlier tweeted that there was a Giannis equivalent back in the day.
This caused a frenzy online, but Karl asserted his opinion more. He called out the fan for ignorance and claimed, “You are on the wrong path“.
The fan had commented on Karl’s earlier tweet. They called Karl an “oldhead”, and accused the former player of comparing Giannis to a “nobody”.
How did George Karl respond?
On January 14th, Karl addressed his followers and wrote, “Young heads, if you are looking for a historical comp to Giannis, it’s Connie Hawkins”.
According to Karl, the 60’s player was the definition of “length, athleticism, and skill”. But his comparison wasn’t taken lightly.
George Karl re-affirmed his statement and ripped apart the skeptical NBA fan. He stated, “Connie Hawkins was a nobody?! Put your keyboard down Youngblood and start listening and learning more. You’re on the wrong path.”
Connie Hawkins was indeed one of the best players in the league of his time. Despite his career trajectory taking a turn after several scandals, he was a “phenomenal talent“. According to SB Nation, “he could do things that were spectacular“. He also joined the NBA at 27 and his poster dunks were a masterclass in their own right.
This is not the first time, George Karl has compared a current lot of players to players from a different era. Recently, he also compared Nikola Jokic to Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
What of Giannis Antetokounmpo?
About four months ago, ESPN published a survey led by Tim Bontemps that asked NBA coaches, scouts, and executives who was the current best player in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo won in a landslide vote. He got 11 out of 15 votes.
Almost a month ago, his name still dominates on the list of contenders for the MVP winner. Since 19 December 2022, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar is averaging 40.4 points per game, 14.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. His constant and consistent shooting sprees have led him to finish the game with 40+ points in consecutive games.
The 2x MVP spoke to reporters after a career-high of 55 points against the Washington Wizards. He said, “I just do what I do and people don’t talk about it because it becomes boring—I do it every single night“.
