Giannis Antetokounmpo has established himself in a very rare category of players that can be considered the best in the league, no matter what happens. Despite the Bucks’ second-round exit in the Playoffs, everyone understands and appreciated what Giannis brings to the game on both ends of the floor. He could be an MVP or a DPOY in any given year.
He is arguably the best two-way forward in the league by a good margin. LeBron James and Kevin Durant cannot defend like Giannis can, while Jayson Tatum is still developing his game. The only other two-way player in the league with a similar impact is Joel Embiid, but Giannis has been playing at the same MVP-caliber level since 2018.
NBA 2K realizes what Giannis brings to an NBA court and has enshrined him with the best rating in NBA 2K23 as a 97 overall. While arguments could be made for the likes of Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, or Joel Embiid, Giannis wears the crown on the video game ratings. Fans reacted to the news on Twitter with a lot of excitement.
REPORT: Giannis is the highest-rated player in NBA 2K23 at 97 overall.
Thoughts? 👀 pic.twitter.com/3eiHphURUf
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 6, 2022
This is how it’s supposed to be. He’s the best in the league
— ً (@JamesTrippinFr) September 6, 2022
Deserved best player in the league
— Ran (@ranthaadon) September 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/SpongeManSports/status/1566996394535227394
Undeserved, should be Lebron
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) September 6, 2022
Jokic should be a 98 then.
— Will. 🏀🦅 (@WiLLns23) September 6, 2022
If he’s a 97 then Lukas a 98
— BullsBetta❤️🔥 (@DeBallZack) September 6, 2022
Because he is only average on defense and giannis is equal on offense
— Ike (@ikevogan5) September 6, 2022
Best player in basketball deserves the best overall!
— bsamps (@bsamps0) September 6, 2022
https://twitter.com/MasterSage_/status/1566996664841297921
Should be a 99.
— ©️hiⓂ️ul🅰️ (@Shakur_Rodgers) September 6, 2022
Who All Could Deserve The Highest Rating In NBA 2K23 Over Giannis Antetokounmpo?
All fanbases will likely argue why their star is better than Giannis, but the arguments run thin for 90% of the league. Some names that people may argue for this position but can’t be objectively called better than Giannis at this point are Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and others.
However, there are 2 players that could claim a seat at the throne that Giannis occupies after last season. Nikola Jokic won his second consecutive MVP last season after carrying an injury-ridden Denver Nuggets to the playoffs. The other is Stephen Curry, who was the king of the postseason and led the Golden State Warriors to their fourth championship since 2015.
From a video game perspective, one could argue that Giannis would easily beat both men through his defensive stats and would thus be ranked higher overall. Ultimately, it’s just a video game, and if Giannis wants to earn the title of the best player in the world, he will have to win it on the court as he has done previously.
