Giannis names some his favorite NBA players: "I like guys who can play offense and defense and are dogs"

Giannis Antetokounmpo is undoubtedly a fan favorite. Beloved by many for his style of play and generally jolly demeanor on and off the court, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar has endeared himself to basketball fans of all ages.

But when it comes to his favorite players, what is Antetokounmpo’s preference?

In an interview with Greek sports website Sport24, he revealed that he admires players who approach the game the same way he does.

“My preference is two-way players,” he shared, before listing off a couple of notable two-way studs in the league. “I like one player, Anthony Edwards. I like him a lot. I like Anthony Davis, see what I mean? I like [Kawhi] Leonard, I like him a lot.”

“I like guys who can play defense and offense and are dogs. When we get on the court, you know that they’re always going to give 100. They might not play well, but they’re always going to give 100 percent,” he added.

Giannis is a two-way beast

Antetokounmpo is one of the biggest stars in the NBA today, largely because he is a two-way beast. The 6-foot-11 forward is an NBA champion, a two-time MVP, a nine-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA selection, and he’s also a former Defensive Player of the Year and a five-time All-Defense selectee.

Giannis is just as dominant on the defensive end as he is on the offensive end, and basketball fans and hoops purists tend to gravitate to players like him. In an era when many of the league’s biggest stars are known for their offensive mastery, guys like Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Anthony Davis are more respected and appreciated.

NBA’s two-way greats

It’s natural for elite NBA scorers to get the bulk of the attention. Over the course of the league’s storied history, however, there have been a handful of guys who not only can score a ton of points but also have made it hard for their opponents to score points, thus being labeled as “two-way players.” Generally, these types of players have garnered more respect and admiration from fans and pundits than their more one-dimensional colleagues.

Apart from the ones that Antetokounmpo mentioned as his favorite players, other two-way stars in the league today include the likes of Jimmy Butler, Victor Wembanyama, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid when healthy, and Evan Mobley, just to name a few. While he doesn’t appear much in the conversation as much, LeBron James is also an underrated two-way player. Apart from being a four-time MVP, the NBA’s all-time leader in points is also a six-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team.

Other historical NBA two-way greats include Michael Jordan (six-time champion, five-time MVP, 11-time All NBA, 10-time Scoring Champion, nine-time All Defense), Tim Duncan (five-time champion, two-time MVP, 15-time All NBA, 15-time All Defense), Hakeem Olajuwon (two-time champion, 12-time All NBA, nine-time All Defense, two-time Defensive Player of the Year), David Robinson (two-time champion, 1-time MVP, 10-time All NBA, 9-time All Defense), Kevin Garnett (one-time champion, one-time MVP, nine-time All NBA, 12-time All Defense) and Kobe Bryant (five-time champion, one-time MVP, 15-time All NBA, 12-time All Defense).

When it’s all said and done and Antetokounmpo calls it a career, he will definitely go down as one of the NBA’s true two-way greats. Some of the guys from his list of favorites might join him as well.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Giannis names some his favorite NBA players: “I like guys who can play offense and defense and are dogs”

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