Many people have posed the question of who will be the next guy, the next Jordan, and the next Lebron. Most fans can’t see that the person is in the league and already has been dominating. Seen as an unstoppable force on the court and now sits at the top of the league reigning over.
Through each era of the NBA, there has been one generational player who defines it as his. The eras were dominated by the likes of Kareem, Magic, Bird, Kobe, and Lebron, but the question of who will dominate the 2020’s has left many fans asking who will take up that mantle.
Pre- Championship
Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the league in 2013, being drafted 15th overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. He came into the league a bright young kid who had a lot of ceiling. Fast forward to the 2016 season, where Giannas would break out, averaging 22 points a game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo would continue to grow with his offense making exponential steps. As a 6’11” power forward, Giannis took the time to perfect his inside game. Being able to dunk, drive for a layup, or shoot a mid-range at will in any game.
His offense was not the only aspect that grew immensely over the years; on defense, Giannis is a force to be reckoned with. After putting on a hefty amount of muscle and growing his speed and agility, Giannis is able to move around the court gracefully, which is clearly seen during the transition when getting back on defense.
The hard work quickly translated into the material as Gianni Antetokounmpos quickly started building his accolade resume. 2019 would be the year Giannis put his foot down on the league, winning the regular season award and being selected to the All-NBA first team and All-Defensive First team.
Rising to the expectations once again, Giannis Antetokounmpo would win back-to-back MVPs in 2020 along with the defensive player of the year award. One thing that most fans in this era had one simple defense against Giannas and his greatness that would be the fact he had yet to win a championship.
Post- Championship
In 2021 the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo would silence the media and fans when they would defeat the Phoenix Suns in six games to win the NBA championship. Giannis was crowned finals MVP, and it looked as though the NBA had a new face. Sadly the next year, Khris Middleton would go down mid-season with an injury and was deemed unplayable for the rest of the season.
This was a key piece for the Bucks as they would eventually lose in the playoffs ending their season. Going into the 2022-2023 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has never looked better and continues to show why he will end his career as one of the greats.
