Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks are one win away from claiming the 2021 NBA championship.
Former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce feels the Greek Freak will become the best player in the world if he wraps up the title, overtaking LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
“I think Giannis, if he wins a chip, he’s the king,” said Pierce. “He’s the best player in the world. I mean look at the numbers he’s putting up. Who shoots 60 percent from the field averaging 30? His impact is undeniable. He’s not that player, but neither was Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal). Everybody asking Giannis to do all this. He’s not a closer. That’s why they need [Khris] Middleton and Jrue Holiday to do that. But everything else in between, he’s taking care of. These other guys who he’s got in front of him, they’re closers. KD (Durant), Bron (James). These guys, they’re closers, they do it all. But this dude, he’s the best right now. He’s coming off two MVPs, and then he win it?”
James, who just wrapped up his third season with the Los Angeles Lakers, has been widely considered the best player in the NBA for the past decade. There are some who feel that Durant surpassed James for that honor a few years ago.
Antetokounmpo has gradually improved his game since coming into the league in 2013. Last year, he earned the rare honor of winning the regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season.
To be fair, he still has some deficiencies in his game, but these days he’s a force to be reckoned with, and at times he seems completely unstoppable.
If the Bucks win the championship this year, Antetokounmpo will have two regular season MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award, Most Improved Player award, world championship and presumably Finals MVP award all under his belt at the age of just 26.
