Giannis Antetokounmpo Downplays Eclipsing LeBron James And James Harden’s 10 Year Scoring Feats

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been an anomaly as far as the modern NBA is concerned. In an era dominated by ‘floor spacers’ and three-point shooters, Giannis has been an ode to 90s basketball. A physical specimen, dominating the paint with his near superhuman strength. He hasn’t won a scoring title, but he’s been so utterly dominant that he’s found himself atop a list that boasts some of the game’s greatest scorers in the last decade.

To understand how naturally scoring comes to the Greek Freak, just look at his stats. Since 2015, Giannis has scored more points (18,983) than anyone else in the league, including LeBron James (17,271), James Harden (18,801), and Stephen Curry (16,672). At times, he’s single-handedly carried Milwaukee into the postseason and beyond. So it’s no surprise that fans were hyped to see the stat that confirmed him as the league’s top scorer.

However, when Giannis took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a fan who posted the graphic with the caption “Holy sh*t,” he couldn’t help but downplay just how impressive the stat really was.

“Not a scorer, just a basketball player,” the 30-year-old said, giving a clear idea of what his mindset is.

For Giannis, chasing titles and winning as a team matter more than individual accolades like scoring titles. That mindset may be what helps him earn those honors in the first place—he’s a two-time MVP and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, proving his value on both ends of the court.

Perhaps that’s why he doesn’t want to stay in Milwaukee anymore—just being the best player, stat-padding on an otherwise underwhelming team. In the 2024–25 season, the Bucks finished 5th in the Eastern Conference but were embarrassingly knocked out by the Indiana Pacers in the first round in just five games.

With Damian Lillard also suffering a long-term injury during the series, it became clear that if Giannis wants to win more titles, his future may not lie in Milwaukee.

Shannon Sharpe also reminded Giannis that help isn’t coming to Milwaukee, no matter how well he performs individually. He pointed to James’ first stint in Cleveland as an example, highlighting how The King struggled as the lone superstar on a Cavaliers roster that was consistently outclassed by the Golden State Warriors between 2014 and 2018.

“Giannis, if LeBron James couldn’t get anybody to come join him in Cleveland you damn sure can’t come get somebody to come join you in Milwaukee. Period,” Sharpe said.

For now, it looks likely that Giannis will leave—but where he ends up remains to be seen. Several teams, including the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets, have recently surfaced in trade rumors.