Giannis Antetokounmpo: 'NBA is not about skills' / News - Basketnews.com

Giannis Antetokounmpo says NBA greats were obsessed with becoming better every day and that it is more important than being skilled.

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com - Scanpix

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks arrived in Abu Dhabi, where they will face the Atlanta Hawks in two friendly preseason games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Position:PF, SFAge:27Height:211 cmWeight:98 kgBirth place:Athens, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

While staying in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Antetokounmpo talked about what do all the NBA all-time greats have in common in an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio.

The two-time NBA MVP believes that there are more important things than skills if you want to be an NBA player.

"It takes more than skills to be great. That's what people don't understand. You can be the most skilled person on earth and still don't make the NBA," said Antetokounmpo.

"The NBA is not about skills. It takes way more: consistency. LeBron James [is] 20 years in the league. When you think about LeBron, you think about consistency. He's been great for 20 years," continued Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo named some of the best NBA players ever to emphasize how important is to be obsessed with basketball to be the best.

"You think about MJ's [Michael Jordan's] obsession, Kobe [Bryant's] obsession, Steph [Curry], KD [Kevin Durant]. It's not just skills man," added Antetokounmpo.

"I can say I'm not the most skillful. I don't have the best shot. I don't have the best dribble. I believe I'm a very good passer, an underrated passer. I think that's my number one talent," said the 27-year-old.

"But the thing that makes me a step further than [other] people is the obsession and the discipline I have towards the game. Not my skills," Antetokounmpo concluded.

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