Chris “Mad Dog” Russo lived up to his nickname on Wednesday morning.
Russo passionately took issue with LeBron James’ statement that Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks would have scored 250 points a game if he played in the 1970s.
A video shared by NBACentral on X featured Russo saying that Antetokounmpo “is not as good as Julius Erving” and claiming that he would have easily been taken down by vintage teams in the 70s.
James was simply attempting to give a big compliment to his NBA peer, but he has instead created another controversy.
Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo calls out LeBron James
“Giannis is not as good as Julius Erving… he’s not in the same ballpark.”
(h/t @awfulannouncing )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 26, 2025
James revealed his hot take on “The Pat McAfee Show,” and it instantly spread all over the internet.
It reignited the age-old debate about who is better: modern NBA stars or their counterparts from decades ago.
James is obviously blown away by Antetokounmpo’s talent, and he isn’t alone.
The way the Bucks star can score and defend is incredible and there is a reason why he’s been MVP multiple times and is also a champion.
But would he really be able to go toe-to-toe with former NBA players?
Russo doesn’t feel that Antetokounmpo comes even close to Erving, and he pointed out that Erving himself was defeated in the 70s.
So if the Bucks superstar isn’t Erving and Erving was taken down by his opponents, Antetokounmpo obviously couldn’t compete with people from that era.
This might not be the last time we hear James or Russo talk about this, and it could be a popular conversation in the NBA world.
Players, analysts, and fans love to discuss the past and compare it with the present, and that likely won’t stop soon.
