The recent article from The Athletic, titled “Echoes of Kareem: The eerie parallels Bucks fans see in a potential Giannis-less future,” draws a dramatic comparison between the Milwaukee Bucks’ trade of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 and the potential trade of Giannis Antetokounmpo. It suggests that trading Giannis could plunge the Bucks into a decades-long championship drought, much like the 46 years that followed Kareem’s departure. While the historical parallel is intriguing, the argument hinges on an overstated view of Giannis’s impact, ignoring the critical weaknesses in his game that limit his ability to dominate when it matters most. This blog post dismantles the article’s premise, arguing that Giannis’s flaws make the comparison to Kareem—a player with a far more complete skill set—unconvincing.

Key points from the articles suggest:

• Giannis’s current situation:
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly considering being traded for the first time in his career.
  • His loyalty to Milwaukee has been tied to the team’s ability to contend for a title.
  • The recent first-round playoff exit and Damian Lillard’s injury (torn Achilles, leading to a long absence) have raised questions about the Bucks’ contention window and potentially accelerated Giannis’s decision-making process.
  • Giannis’s trade value is currently at its highest. He is 30 years old, a two-time MVP, and a Finals MVP, making him a highly desirable trade candidate for many teams.
  • He has not explicitly requested a trade yet, but teams are “quietly lining up” in case he does.
  • His contract runs through the 2026-27 season with a player option for 2027-28, and it does not include a no-trade clause.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s situation:
  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the previous best player for the Bucks before Giannis, demanded a trade in the 1970s, specifically to New York or Los Angeles for personal reasons.
  • The Bucks’ goal is to avoid a repeat of the Abdul-Jabbar situation where he dictates his preferred destination, which could limit their trade return.
• The Bucks’ dilemma:
  • Milwaukee needs to avoid a similar outcome to the Abdul-Jabbar trade, which led to a long period without a championship.
  • The team has limited cap flexibility and tradable assets, making it challenging to rebuild a contender around Giannis.
  • They are reportedly desperate to keep Giannis and might be willing to sacrifice a lot of assets to build a contender on the fly.
  • The article emphasizes the importance of Giannis’s decision in the coming weeks for the Bucks’ offseason plans.
• Potential trade scenarios and suitors:
  • Many teams are being discussed as potential landing spots if Giannis becomes available, including the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Detroit Pistons.
  • The Lakers are mentioned, but it’s noted they have limited assets, and a trade there would likely only happen if Giannis specifically demanded to go there.
  • Trade packages would likely involve a combination of young players and draft picks.

In essence, the articles highlight the critical juncture the Milwaukee Bucks face with Giannis Antetokounmpo, drawing parallels to their past experience with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the intense speculation surrounding Giannis’s future in the league.

The Article’s Core Claim

The Athletic’s piece posits that Giannis is the linchpin of the Bucks’ success, akin to Kareem in his era, and that trading him could doom the franchise to a prolonged rebuild. It points to Milwaukee’s 46-year title drought post-Kareem and implies a similar fate if Giannis is dealt. This narrative assumes Giannis’s current and future impact is on par with Kareem’s, a premise that doesn’t hold up when you scrutinize Giannis’s game.

Giannis’s Strengths? Limited

Let’s acknowledge Giannis’ postseason reveals the cracks in his game. Unlike Kareem, whose skyhook and all-around scoring made him nearly unguardable, Giannis’s skill set has exploitable flaws that teams have repeatedly targeted in high-stakes moments. These weaknesses undermine the article’s claim that his departure would be as catastrophic as Kareem’s.

Weakness #1: Limited Outside Shooting

Giannis’s lack of a reliable jump shot is his most glaring flaw. His career three-point shooting hovers around 28%, and in the 2024-25 season, he’s hitting just 27.3% from deep on 1.8 attempts per game. In the playoffs, teams like the Miami Heat (2020, 2023) and Boston Celtics (2022) have built “walls” in the paint, daring him to shoot. When he does, the results are inconsistent, allowing defenses to sag off and clog driving lanes. Kareem, by contrast, had a mid-range and post game that forced defenses to respect him at all levels. Giannis’s one-dimensional scoring profile makes him easier to game-plan against in crunch time.

Weakness #2: Free-Throw Struggles

Giannis’s free-throw shooting remains a liability, especially in close games. In the 2024-25 season, he’s shooting 65.2% from the line, a marginal improvement but still below average for a star. In the 2021 Finals, his 59.1% free-throw shooting nearly cost the Bucks key games, and opponents often exploit this with intentional fouls late in games. Compare this to Kareem, who shot 72% from the line during his Bucks tenure and didn’t face the same “hack-a-Giannis” strategy. This weakness hampers Giannis’s ability to close out tight playoff games, a critical factor the article overlooks.

Weakness #3: Playmaking Under Pressure

While Giannis is a capable passer, averaging around 6 assists per game, his decision-making falters under playoff pressure. His turnover rate spikes in the postseason—3.8 per game in his career compared to 3.2 in the regular season—often due to forced passes or charges into crowded defenses. Teams with elite defenders, like Toronto in 2019, have neutralized him by doubling him early and forcing him to make quick reads he’s not consistently equipped to handle. Kareem, with his high basketball IQ and versatile scoring, was a more reliable hub for his team’s offense, even under defensive scrutiny.

Weakness #4: Defensive Inconsistency

Giannis’s 2020 DPOY award highlights his defensive potential, but his impact on that end has waned. In the 2024-25 season, the Bucks’ defensive rating is worse with Giannis on the floor (112.3) compared to off (110.8), per NBA.com. His rim protection and versatility are still elite, but he often conserves energy on defense in the regular season, and in the playoffs, teams exploit his tendency to help off shooters, leaving open threes. Kareem, a three-time blocks leader with Milwaukee, was a consistent defensive anchor. Giannis’s defensive lapses, especially in critical moments, dilute his overall impact.

Why the Kareem Comparison Fails

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a complete player: a scoring machine with the skyhook, a reliable free-throw shooter, and a defensive stalwart who anchored the Bucks’ system. His departure in 1975 was devastating because his skill set was irreplaceable. Giannis, while a generational talent, has clear holes in his game that teams exploit in the playoffs. The Bucks’ 2021 title required a perfect storm—Khris Middleton’s clutch shooting, Jrue Holiday’s defense, and injuries to opponents like Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving. Without those factors, Giannis’s weaknesses have often led to early exits, like the Bucks’ first-round losses in 2023 and 2024.

The article’s claim that trading Giannis would mirror Kareem’s exit overstates his indispensability. Milwaukee’s recent trade of Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma shows they’re trying to retool around Giannis, not replace him as a singular saviour. A trade could bring assets to build a more balanced roster, addressing the team’s reliance on a star whose flaws are exposed in high-stakes moments.

Click bait from the NYT

The Athletic’s comparison of a potential Giannis trade to Kareem’s departure is so flawed it’s click bait. Giannis’s weaknesses—poor outside shooting, free-throw struggles, shaky play making under pressure, and defensive inconsistency—limit his ability to carry a team in the playoffs the way Kareem did. While he’s a phenomenal talent, he’s not the unassailable force the article suggests. Trading him wouldn’t necessarily doom the Bucks to decades of irrelevance; it could open the door to a smarter, more balanced roster. The Kareem parallel is more emotional than factual. Giannis is an antisocial player who will find it hard to fit in at any other team. Both due to his character flaws and – most importantly – due to his extremely low basketball IQ and limited skill set. He is playing a kind of basketball that has long been surpassed in the NBA and was extremely lucky to win that one championship.

The Bucks aren’t winning another one with Giannis. The whole point of this article makes no sense.