Messi set blueprint for greatness - NBA’s Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo has arrived in Miami to join the NBA's Heat, drawing inspiration from soccer legend Lionel Messi's successful career moves. Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, sees Messi as a model for sporting excellence, similar to LeBron James.

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You’ve just got to follow. 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.

"You've just got to follow," Antetokounmpo said of Messi's approach. "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."

Antetokounmpo, who watched Messi lead Argentina to the World Cup final, reflected on the soccer star's transition from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and then to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami. Despite predictions of decline, Messi has continued to perform at a high level, even winning an MLS Cup and two MVP awards.

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I was thinking about his path

"Messi might go down as one of the best athletes of all time," Antetokounmpo stated, highlighting Messi's numerous titles and his continued success in MLS. "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."

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Messi might go down as one of the best athletes of all time. He might have two World Cup Finals wins. 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.

He was particularly moved by a moment during Messi's World Cup win over England, where Messi was helped up by his teammates. Antetokounmpo believes this level of respect is earned and hopes to achieve it in his own career.

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And then you could see all of his teammates sprinted to help him out. 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.