Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo has hailed Lionel Messi as the model for sporting excellence, saying the Argentina captain’s career offers a clear blueprint for athletes seeking sustained success at the highest level.
The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player made the remarks on Thursday after arriving in Miami following his blockbuster move from the Milwaukee Bucks. Antetokounmpo said watching Messi inspire Argentina to a dramatic 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory over England reinforced his admiration for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“You’ve just got to follow,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s hard. You have to be disciplined. You have to be dedicated to your craft. But it’s there. And if you want to follow, you follow. If you don’t want to follow, you go home.”
The Greek basketball star said he reflected on Messi’s remarkable career journey from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and then Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, where many believed the football icon’s best years were behind him. Instead, Messi has led Argentina to another World Cup final and stands on the brink of retaining the title they won in Qatar in 2022.
“Messi might go down as one of the best athletes of all time,” Antetokounmpo said, highlighting the Argentine’s numerous domestic league titles, UEFA Champions League triumphs and his success since moving to the United States.
“He might have two World Cup Finals wins.”
Antetokounmpo said Messi’s achievements have motivated him to maintain the highest professional standards throughout his own career.
“When you see that, you get inspired. You definitely get inspired to take care of your body, to keep doing the right thing for your team.”
The NBA star also pointed to a moment during Argentina’s semi-final win over England when Messi was knocked to the ground before his teammates rushed to his aid.
“And then you could see all of his teammates sprinted to help him out,” Antetokounmpo said. “You have to earn that. The respect that he has from his teammates, that’s earned … hopefully in my career I’m able to do something like that.”
Messi is expected to lead Argentina against Spain in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final as he bids to secure back-to-back world titles.
(The Sun)