Giannis Antetokounmpo: Ranking the FMVP among NBA’s best players
By Dalton Sell
Ranking Giannis Antetokounmpo among NBA’s best players: No. 3 -LeBron James
It seems like LeBron James has claimed the top spot on lists like these consistently throughout the previous decade. Rightfully so, as the forward is among the best players to ever play the game, but his status on these lists may begin to change. That is not a knock on James, just perhaps a nod at the talented pieces ahead of him on this list. However, another prominent reason why he might be placed third here is because of the season he just had.
James looked great to begin the 2020-21 season, with a handful of experts having him as the way-too-early MVP favorite. He had the Los Angeles Lakers rolling, but an unfortunate injury derailed LeBron and the LA’s season entirely. An ankle injury allowed James to appear in just 45 regular season games with the Lakers, the fewest in his career. Although he returned for LA’s postseason run, he looked like a shell of himself as the Lakers fell to the Suns in six games in the first round.
Despite the ankle injury and the fact that he will be nearly 37-years-old when next season begins, James is still unquestionably one of the best players in the league. When he is healthy, the Lakers are a formidable opponent. After all, they won the championship during the 2019-20 season with James leading the way. Only time will tell what the 2020-21 season has in store for James, but he should make his return to the court and prove that he can still play like a top-three player. Perhaps the “rivalry” between James and Antetokounmpo will persist in that case.