“LeBron James and the Greek Freak together?!”: How Giannis Antetokounmpo could have paired up with the Lakers’ superstar in Cleveland

NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James could have been teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers and possibly altered the league

At any given point of the day, each of us has tons of ‘what-ifs’ going on in our heads. However, some of these what-ifs are very bizarre when said out loud. The NBA offseason is a prime zone for some of the most mind-blowing what-ifs. One such what-if is, ‘What if Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James team up?’

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While it sounds bizarre, the likelihood of the same happening is not as low as you think it might be. The same might have actually happened, all the way back in 2013. Back in 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers had the first pick in the NBA Draft. The Cavs drafted Anthony Bennett over Giannis and CJ McCollum.

What if the Cavs would have drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 15th pick in the 2013 Draft. However, if the Cavs had picked Giannis with their first, or their 19th pick, things may have been much different today.

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LeBron James returned to the Cavs in 2014 and won Cleveland their first NBA Championship in 2016. He led the Cavs to four straight finals from 2015 to 2018 and went 1-3 in the same. To think things may have been different if Giannis was playing with the King is a fun topic to ponder on.

While imagining the King and the Greek Freak together may be amazing, one needs to remember the leap Giannis made in his NBA journey. Giannis joined the league and was compared to the likes of Nic Batum as the player to model his career after. However, he put the work in and achieved a lot in his 8 years in Milwaukee and the NBA. Giannis won a Most Improved Player award in 2017, consecutive NBA MVP honors in 2019 and 2020. This year, he topped it all off with an NBA Championship and a Finals MVP.