So far this season, the NBA has been dominated by headlines of James Harden, Ben Simmons, and Kyrie Irving. It’s been just as much about the drama as about actual basketball.
But while all that has been happening, something crazy has been going on. One player is doing the unthinkable just one year after reaching the mountain top.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is dominating but no one seems to care
As of now, Giannis Antetokounmpo is leading the league in scoring, averaging 29.4 points. He’s also seventh in rebounds, top-25 in assists, and top-15 in blocks.
Just one year after winning a championship, Antetokounmpo is back to carrying the Milwaukee Bucks on his back, en route to another postseason push.
Milwaukee faltered a bit to start the year, mainly due to injuries, but now they are back and better than ever. They are 36-23 on the season, just two games back of first place in the East.
And while Khris Middleton is an All-Star and Jrue Holiday was almost certainly in consideration, they are doing all of this on the back of an absolutely incredible season from Antetokounmpo.
He’s in the running for both the MVP and DPOY for what seems like the fifth year in a row (probably because it is for the fifth year in a row). Plus, he has a real shot at leading the league in scoring.
The only player to ever lead the league in scoring and also win Defensive Player of the Year is Michael Jordan, who did it in the 1987-88 season. He also took home the MVP award that year.
Anytime a player is able to be mentioned in the same conversation as Jordan it should be talked about. Yet, everything Antetokounmpo has been doing this year seems to be flying under the radar.
It’s not as cool of a story as the Cavaliers or Grizzlies, not as drama-filled as the James Harden/Ben Simmons saga, and not as exciting as watching Stephen Curry jack-up a million threes.
But Giannis Antetokounmpo is absolutely dominating the NBA this season, and whether people are paying attention or not, he’s coming for his second ring.