Antetokounmpo: “Webaniyama is special – I’m a fan of him”

His admiration for him Victor Webanyama and the prospect of doing great things in his career was expressed by John Antetokounmpo after the Bucks win in San Antonio.

“He is special. He’s going to be a very good player, he just needs to stay healthy. He plays the right way, he plays to win. I’ve never seen a player like him, he’s 2.24 meters, 2.27? There’s no way he’s 2.20 meters, he’s much taller. Anyone who says it’s 2.20 meters is lying. We’ve never seen anything like this before, at least me, maybe you. The sky is his limit. As long as he works hard and has the right mindset and energy, all his dreams will come true. He had played with my younger brother at Villerban. I knew even then that he was going to be special, but seeing him in front of me and experiencing what he’s doing, it’s incredible“, he emphasized.

As for the fact that the 19-year-old Frenchman declared himself a fan? “Is he a fan of mine? It’s great, but I’ll be honest. When you hear this, you relax a little. In a few years I might meet other players who admired me and have to compete with them. The league is getting more and more difficult, better and better players are coming and we are growing more and more. It’s a great compliment. He will be a great player. When I retire I will watch him and be a fan».

When asked what program should Webanyama follow and if he should strengthen his body, he answered: “I don’t think it should get stronger. That is what I believe. He can impact the game, already averaging 20 points. Sometimes when you get stronger, you lose your flexibility. I think the best advice I can give him is to stay healthy because he has a huge body. To continue to enjoy the game and not fall into the trap of saying ‘I have to do this, be that, play this way’. He has to see what he wants. That he wants to play a certain way, to want to play well, to be the best player. He has to enjoy the game, stay healthy and not get into the mindset that he has to do things».

Regarding his two three-pointers that proved decisive, he said: “I will be honest. I’m just working on them. You’ve seen how I work before the games. In some matches I will shoot, in some not. I know that shot is there if I want it. I think we were behind towards the end and I thought ‘let’s shoot’ and I got lucky. I have a coach, I won’t say his name, who has told me that you have certain moments in the game when you feel great. That you feel the moment and want to put your signature on a game. Normally I wouldn’t take that 3-pointer, but that’s how I felt the moment and I shot. I was lucky and he got in. It wasn’t the first time I felt like I was in the moment. I did it against the Sixers in 2019 I think. I went down the court and just hit the 3-pointer and we won. I felt it today. Maybe I’ll feel that way in the future. Sometimes the shots go in, sometimes not. Sometimes your teammates yell at you ‘what the hell are you doing’ and sometimes they applaud you».