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Giannis Antetokounmpo dishes valuable advice to young hoopers in China

Giannis shared his precious hoop knowledge to some hoopers in China.

Jonas Panerio

© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the purest hoopers there is. Regardless if it’s a preseason game, the All-Star game, or the NBA Finals, the “Greek Freak” knows only how to play one way—hard and aggressive.

Recently, the two-time MVP made a trip to China, where he held several practice sessions with some of the country’s top young basketball talents. At each session, Giannis was all about motivation and providing his own words of wisdom on how to become great in the game. He spoke about discipline, having fun, and paying attention to details.

Respect the game

Forever a student of the game from the time he was an up-and-coming player in Greece to now, despite being a two-time MVP and an NBA champion, Giannis implored the young players to always respect the game. This required giving your utmost effort, irrespective of the exercise or the ambiance surrounding it.

“Me, whenever I step on the court, I never disrespect the game of basketball. I don’t care if there are cameras. I don’t care what we’re doing—basketball is basketball. And I will try to help you guys as much as people helped me before,” Giannis shared.

Paying attention to details

The NBA is a league filled with super-athletic and skilled players, so it can be difficult to get a leg up on anyone. Giannis, though, explained that one of the best ways to get an edge, whether in the NBA or any other league for that matter, is to pay close attention to the details.

“At the end of the day, one of the most important things that I tell my brothers every day—you pay attention to details. People, when they see basketball, they see this whole thing, the whole picture. The best to ever play the game, they see pieces of the game. Always have your ears open, your eyes open to see the game of basketball,” Giannis stated.

“If you do that for the rest of your career, you will understand better than most people in this planet.”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO