"Giannis is the best player in the NBA!" - Shannon Sharpe makes confident claim, says Giannis Antetokounmpo is on a level by himself
Over the past few years, Giannis Antetokounmpo has cemented himself in the upper echelon of NBA superstars. Currently in his prime years, he is undoutbley one of the top players in the world.
Through the first three games of the year, the Milwaukee Bucks star has averaged 36 points, 13 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He continues to be the most remarkable developmental story in league history.
Every year, the debate is brought up about who is the best player in the NBA. Given all he's achieved by the age of 27, Giannis is a common name brought up in the conversation. Others mentioned include Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Luka Doncic.
In the Bucks' recent 110-99 comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets, the two-time MVP posted a stat line of 43 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Following this incredible performance, Shannon Sharpe went on FS1's "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" and declared that there's no longer a debate about who the NBA's top player is.
"Can we stop with this, there's no more debate, it's not fair. We're doing a disservice to this man. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the NBA.
"Nobody, no current player can do what he does on both ends of the court. He can impact the game on both ends of the court."
“Stop the debate, Giannis is the best player in the NBA. Nobody can do what he does, he’s on a level by himself!”
— @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/aKISuwdwfU
Is Shannon Sharpe right about Giannis Antetokounmpo being the best player in the NBA?
At this point in time, it's hard to disagree with what Shannon Sharpe said. There are countless elite-level talents in the NBA, but it's hard to put any of them above Giannis Antetokounmpo.
From a sheer standpoint of being able to influence the game on a night-to-night basis, Giannis is in a tier of his own. Along with being an unstoppable force on the offensive end, he is able to lock down any opponent on defense.
Superstars are defined by their two-way play, and nobody can perform at an elite level on both ends like the 2021 Finals MVP. The only person who could rival him is Kawhi Leonard. But at this stage of his career, the LA Clippers star isn't nearly as impactful.
Sharpe feels this debate is a no contest, and it's honestly hard to deny it. While Nikola Jokic managed to sneak in and win two MVPs, Giannis was right there. In fact, his numbers improved from the years he won the award. If voters didn't get tired of picking, he'd easily have more trophies in his collection.
Despite being drafted 15th overall in 2013, the raw talent from Greece managed to overcome the odds in a huge way. Not only is he the top talent in the league right now, but he'll likely remain in that spot for years to come.
The NBA is filled with some of the best athletes, but only one can be the best of the best. As his prime continues to unfold, the Bucks star will continue his dominant reign over the league.