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$42.4 million earner Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “LeBron James is what Michael Jordan was to me!” enshrines the king as his deity 

Jeet Pukhrambam
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Giannis Antetokounmpo might be atop Mount Olympus as per analysts, but the Greek God himself thinks LeBron "the King" James is above him. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo might be atop Mount Olympus as per analysts, but the Greek God himself thinks LeBron “the King” James is above him. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo might have been a dominant force in the league for the last five years. In fact, one can say he reached his pinnacle when he won the title in 2021, bringing a championship to Milwaukee after 50 years.

Despite that, and a broad acclaim by some of the world’s best media and analysts as the best player in the league, he himself professes that there is one above him.

Yes, according to Giannis, LeBron James is still arguably the best player in the world. In an interview with Marca, he confessed that James was his idol before he came to the league.

You can see the humble young boy from Greece as he talks fondly about what it was like to look up to LeBron and now to be talked of in the same breath as the King, is nothing short of a blessing.

Also read: 4x NBA Champ LeBron James shows love to Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Brothers

Giannis is ever the humble guy as he talks highly of LeBron James, even showing a little hint of inferiority to the king!

In the interview they talk at length about various things, including his life in Greece, what it is like to play for the national team, etc. But what stands out is how Giannis is reverent of James.

The two have a lot of mutual respect for each other and according to the Greek God, he will be the first to know if LeBron James isn’t the best player in the world.

The Greek superstar might be pulling in a hefty $42.4 million this year but he still reminds us of the boy who sold trinkets on the streets of Athens. The humility he displayed to underplay his status is nothing short of remarkable.

We still believe the jury is out when it comes to declaring who the best player in the NBA is. It is subjective. For now and till the 2022-23 season kicks off, the floor is open, it is only a matter of who rises to the top and claims the crown.

As for Giannis, he has enshrined the King as his deity but soon, he might be coming for the throne.

Also read: Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘I am too cheap’ comment on hearing LeBron James’ $1.5 million spending to up his game

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam

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Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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