“The 80s were for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the 20s are going to be for Luka Doncic and Giannis”: Nick Wright calls the next decade Giannis and Luka’s as Lebron and KD approach the end of their careers

Achyuth Jayagopal | 19/05/2022
"The 80s were for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the 20s are going to be for Luka Doncic and Giannis": Nick Wright calls the next decade Giannis and Luka's as Lebron and KD approach the end of their careers

Nick Wright, on Some Dude Show, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic as NBA’s greats in the 2020s, as LeBron James reaches twilight

With Lebron, KD, and the stars of the 2010s approaching their swansong, the question as to who next had been ringing around NBA circles. Nick Wright of First Things First on the Some Dude Show podcast weighed in with his take. He’s heavily favored Luka Doncic for the past few years, and today was no different.

Lebron not making the playoffs and KD getting swept in the first round has led to a lot of talk about marking the end of an era. The fact that this coincided with the rise of various stars such as Doncic, Antetokounmpo, Tatum, Morant, and Co. has led to people believing that this is the “passing of the baton” stage for this era of NBA basketball.

Also Read: “Luka Doncic is just 8 wins away from being a Top 15 ALL TIME guy”: First Things First crew led by Nick Wright debate on where Mavs’ star stands in the pantheon of greats

Nick Wright, known for his outrageous opinions on First Things First became the latest to declare the frontrunners of the race for the ‘face of the league’ tag. When asked on Some Dude Show as to who next after Lebron, Wright responded with Luka and Giannis almost instantaneously.

Why does Nick Wright deem Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo as the league’s next greats?

With much noise about their playoff performances, Wright has opted to go for the claim that it is already Luka’s and Giannis’ league. Comparisons in the podcast even compare Luka’s playoff run to LeBron’s legendary 2007 playoff run with the Cavaliers.

The First Things First host goes on to say that he expected a Luka v Giannis Finals this time around. Wright reasons naming two players instead of one by saying that the NBA has always had two stars in a decade.

He compares the Luka – Giannis tandem to Bird and Magic. Two incomparable players playing in different conferences.

As things stand, Wright’s statement does not ring like a hot take. Both Doncic and Antetokounmpo have established themselves as world beaters. A league led by two European stars would also promote the idea of the NBA as being a “global league”.

If both stars continue their upward trajectory, it should not be surprising if they surpass any comparisons and make the NBA theirs.

Also read: “Michael Jordan and LeBron James never did what Giannis Antetokounmpo is doing!”: 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists for the first time in a playoff series, The Greek Freak scripts history

Post Edited By: Raahib Singh
Giannis Antetokounmpo LeBron James Luka Doncic Magic Johnson Nick Wright

About the author

Achyuth Jayagopal

Achyuth Jayagopal is a creative writer with The Sportsrush. After previous freelance dabbles in the industry, Achyuth has authored over 300 pieces for TSR. Having followed the game of basketball for a considerable period, he pledges his allegiance to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Beyond speaking his mind on all things basketball, Achyuth is a Sports and Gaming Lawyer who is an ardent Chelsea fan and takes a shine to the culinary world and travelling too.

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