“I'm one of the best defensive players”: Giannis Antetokounmpo makes bold statement about himself after win against Detroit Pistons

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks squad to a stunning 125-119 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday at the Little Caesars Arena. Antetokounmpo, who has been one of the standout stars in the NBA and for the Bucks, scored 32 points in the game. Post-game, the 8-time NBA All-Star claimed that he is one of the best defensive players in the league right now.

Giannis Antetokounmpo turned in another elite performance, showing his all-around brilliance in 37 minutes and 46 seconds of action. He finished with 32 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field, hitting 50% of his attempts despite missing both of his shots from beyond the arc. He knocked down 10 of his 11 free-throw attempts, good for an impressive 90.9%.
Beyond scoring, Giannis orchestrated the offense with ease, dishing out 15 assists and grabbing 11 rebounds, securing yet another triple-double. He pulled down 10 defensive boards and added one on the offensive glass. Defensively, he contributed a block and a steal while avoiding foul trouble entirely—finishing the night without committing a single personal foul.
“I think I’m pretty good defensive player. I’ll be very honest with you, it’s kind hard when you have so much offensive load to play defense at a very high level. But if you really think about all the top players in the NBA right now that score the ball at the high rate, I really think, I’m one of the best defensive players,” Antetokounmpo said after the match.

The Greek Freak went on to explain how he can influence his games, “You know, you can go from the top, ten scoring players in the league, you know, I think, I can affect the game defensively too from my defensive rebounds, from deflections, from blocking, from just getting myself in there, and there’s gonna be times my team needs me to do that.”

He acknowledged that hard moments sometimes test his prowess, but Antetokounmpo revealed that he is not the one to back down. “But, you know? When you have a lot of load it’s kind of hard but hard is good. I love hard.”
Antetokounmpo is currently averaging a stunning 30.4 points per game, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.
Also Read: Giannis Antetokounmpo vs Detroit Pistons: How many points Milwaukee Bucks score (04/11)?
The Milwaukee Bucks secured a crucial road win over the Detroit Pistons, locking in the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. It was a big-time performance across the board, with Bobby Portis stepping up for a double-double, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kevin Porter Jr. also delivered strong support off the bench, chipping in 16 points and providing a steady scoring boost throughout the night.