Giannis Antetokounmpo labels Victor Wembanyama an 'incredible talent' as he gushes over Spurs rookie after epic battle
- It was the first-ever meeting between one of the league's best players and the rookie
- Wembanyama is already well on his way to stardom, and Giannis certainly sees it
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
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Victor Wembanyama received another seal of approval for his extortion potential from Giannis Antetokounmpo after the pair went toe-to-toe in a thrilling battle on Thursday night.
βHe's an unbelievable talent,β Giannis said of Wembanyama after the Bucks secured a late 125-121 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio. '(He) can score whenever he wants. Plays the right way, plays to win. It was good to play against him.'
Antetokounmpo said some nice words to the rookie on his 20th birthday after Milwaukee's dramatic victory, despite his younger rival scoring 27 points that night.
Wembanyama has long been considered the best basketball player of this generation due to his diverse skillset.
The Frenchman is 6-foot-4 and has enough handles to move like a guard, evidenced by his slick behind-the-back move in the third quarter that made Damian Lillard look silly.
Giannis Antetokounmpo faced Victor Wembanyama for the first time on Thursday
Giannis sang Wembanyama's praises as he called the rookie an “incredible talent.”
Giannis defeated Wembanyama by 44 points to bring home the victory.
NBA fans continued to purr during the game as the pair went back and forth with some phenomenal three-pointers and bits of individual brilliance.
Antetokounmpo drew a charge on Wembanyama after hitting a three-pointer to tie the score at 118 with three minutes remaining before hitting his second of the game 34 seconds later to give the Bucks a 121-118 lead.
Wembanyama responded by blocking Lillard's layup and making a three-pointer of his own to tie the score with 53 seconds left.
He then blocked a dunk attempt from Giannis to set up a potential tying shot, but then passed on a controversial three-pointer to give the ball to Tre Jones – who missed from the right corner.
Despite Wembanyama impressing the Greek Freak, the Spurs are 5-29 overall, the second-worst record in the NBA, overshadowed by the Wizards' six wins.
Despite Wembanyama impressing the Greek Freak, Spurs are 5-29 overall after the defeat
Only the Detroit Pistons, who recently set the NBA record for most consecutive losses, have a worse record at 3-31.
Wembanyama is still showing signs of being a rookie as he played just 26 minutes on Thursday night compared to Antetokounmpo's 40.
While San Antonio's chances of making the playoffs are already disappearing, Milwaukee is in second place in the Eastern Conference, two games behind Boston.
Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo will not face each other again this season.