The debate about who is the greatest player in the world continues to rage every season, with the dominant superstars from recent seasons often getting a lot of support for the moniker from media members and fans alike. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry have all been in the conversation more than any other players in the past decade but there is a changing of the guard happening in the league at this point.
The last 4 seasons have seen none of these players win an MVP. LeBron James is the only player from the old guard that has won a championship in that time, and younger players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic have firmly entered the conversation. As a reigning champion and Finals MVP, one would think everyone agrees that Giannis has an excellent claim to it, but a few people are still hesitant to give him the crown.
Antetokounmpo put up a 24-point triple-double against the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the WCSF and despite even Magic Johnson calling him the best, Stephen A. Smith suggested that he’s not ready to go there yet. This drew a comment from Kyle Kuzma, who took to Twitter to ask who it would be if not the Greek Freak.
Lol then who the hell is? https://t.co/UO5uKaV6ZA
— kuz (@kylekuzma) May 2, 2022
“Lol then who the hell is?”
Kuzma himself is a champion, having won in 2020 playing on the Lakers alongside LeBron James. After a dominant individual season, it doesn’t seem like LeBron will relinquish his spot at the top without a fight, and Kuzma knows just how great LBJ is, but what Giannis is doing right now in terms of individual and team success is incredible.
Antetokounmpo doesn’t care too much about these accolades, as he has said time and time again, he’s just focused on winning. If he can lead the Bucks to another championship, with Khris Middleton having missed significant time, even the most stubborn talking heads will have to admit that he might just be the best player in the world.
