Who is the best basketball player in the NBA according to ESPN’s annual ranking? The answer is Giannis Antetokounmpo, ahead of Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid and Stephen Curry.
Asked about this “title”, the “Greek Freak” gave a diplomatic and quite skilful answer.
“Do I believe I’m one of the best players in the league in how I help my team shine and win games? Yes, I believe so. I’m mature enough and old enough to understand it. Do I think I’m the best in the world? No. I think the best player in the world is the one who is the last one standing, the one who takes his team to the finish line and helps them win and become champions. »
Suddenly, Giannis Antetokounmpo instead directs the attention to Golden State, unloading in passing some pressure that could come with this status, also confirmed by NBA 2K.
“Two years ago, when we won the title, in my bed, I said to myself: ‘Ah yes, I am perhaps the best player in the world’. But now, no. The way I see it, whoever wins is the best. I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry, until the next one. »
Inevitably, Stephen Curry quickly heard about this comment, which he also commented on diplomatically.
“I would say the same about the champions. It’s part of the nature of the league. We all want to win the title, so we look at the team that is last standing and playing the best, and I thought the same of him last year, after their run. I appreciate the compliment. This is not going to cause me to rest on my laurels at all. But we appreciate the respect of our peers who say things like that, and I’ve been in the situation of complimenting the other guys in the league a lot. »
