As a 6x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, 2x MVP, and NBA Champion at just 27-years-old, Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t just one of the best players in the league today — he’s quickly becoming one of the best in history.
But for a guy with such an impressive career, the Greek Freak is often disregarded or discredited in NBA circles today.
On his podcast, Bill Simmons discussed this trend and talked about how Antetokounmpo is on his way to being the most disrespected superstar of his generation. Take a listen:
“I am feeling like Giannis, I don’t know if he’s there yet, but I think we’re edging there, is becoming the most disrespected superstar of his generation. You laid out some of the case today for why he should absolutely be thrown into the MVP race in every conversation. It’s not just Jokic vs Embiid, which I agree with. Just in general, I’ve never seen people go out of their way to look for more reasons not to declare somebody either the best player in the league or 1B to Durant if we’re gonna do that.”
“He answered every question we had in the Finals last year. He plays hurt, he comes through on the biggest stages, he has iconic plays, he handles his business the right way, he crushes on both ends. He’s the best defensive player in the league. He’s averaging 30, 11, and 6. He’s carried a team that’s had a lot of moving pieces during the year. he never misses games or really seems to get hurt. He’s a true freak. He’s in the prime of his career. What am I missing?”
Antetokounmpo does a little bit of everything on the court. He’s a scorer, a defender, a rebounder, and even a locker-room leader. Because of his presence, the Bucks have transformed from a mediocre team to one of the best in basketball.
Still, not everyone feels like he’s getting his due respect.
With averages of 29.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting, the Greek Freak is having another stellar campaign, and there is no question that his name belongs in the MVP conversation.
