Enes Freedom Sounds Off-On Viral Video Of Giannis Antetokounmpo Saying, “He Doesn’t Want The Smoke,” In Wrestling Ring [Watch]
In a recent post-game press conference following the Bucks beating the Mavericks, I asked the 2021 Finals MVP if he would consider joining AEW or WWE? He would reply, “Possibly… Be like what, like “The Rock?” S**t if I make as much money as “The Rock” makes, for sure. Man, I don’t know. I don’t want to be a wrestler. That’s not my thing, but you never know.
“I’ve seen a lot of great athletes: Shaq, Mike Tyson, LaMelo was there, Lonzo, LaVar Ball was there a couple of years ago. So you’ve seen a lot of people that’ve been a part of it.”
The follow up question was to gauge Antetokounmpo’s interest in getting in the squared circle with Freedom following his comments.
The two time league MVP replied, “Oh, he doesn’t want that smoke.”
Well, it didn’t take long for us to get an answer from the former NBA forward Enes Freedom. During a recent episode of The GameDay, Co-hosts Emily Austin and Jack Parodi talked about Antetokounmpo’s comments. Also during the episode, Austin called Freedom to see if the news was true.
“Okay let make this really clear, no, I don’t remember saying anything like that. I am actually trying to keep it cool with the Greek people right now, ” said Freedom.
“I don’t remember saying it. I promise you. Maybe I said it like years and years ago. It’s so weird that it came out three or four days ago.”
A couple of years ago before the Boston Celtics were scheduled to take on the Dallas Mavericks, former Celtics forward Enes Freedom was asked by Fanatics View, if we could see him and the NBA’s MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo in a WWE ring together.
“Not as a tag team, but maybe yes, as opponents,” said Freedom.
As for why it’s only coming out now, with the world social distancing due to COVID over the last couple seasons, Antetokounmpo wasn’t made available to all NBA media members following the NBA shutdown in 2020.
It has been documented that Freedom is a huge wrestling fan and would like to compete at WrestleMania one day if his schedule will allow it.
As for Antetokounmpo, he’s also a wrestling fan and had the opportunity to make appearances on both WWE and AEW programing.
Speaking Giannis Antetokounmpo, his former teammate Donte DiVincenzo was asked how does he and Steph Curry make things fun as leaders. Before the Bucks took on the Warriors on Tuesday night.
They’re both great players, but they’re also both great people,” DiVincenzo said. “I think Steph … they’re both very similar, so the contrast part is hard. I think Giannis’ dominance is more of the physical, more of coming at you every single possession. Steph, sometimes you look up and you didn’t even know he had 30 points. It’s just a different way of getting those points, getting rhythm for those guys.
“Ultimately what makes them special, though, is they’re really cool off the court which allows the leadership part for people to follow them.”
At time of publishing this article, the Bucks are up on the Warriors 95-77 at the 11:46 mark of the fourth quarter.
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
He previously served as director of editorial and brand communications at PlayersTV, where he helped shape the platform’s editorial voice and brand identity. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of LandonBuford.com—an independent outlet with more than 1.6 million views and syndication from major platforms including Bleacher Report, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo Sports. Buford’s interviews with stars like Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Mark Cuban and Chris Paul showcase his talent for meaningful, in-depth conversations.
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