Giannis Antetokounmpo names the best player currently in NBA and it’s not Jayson Tatum 

Giannis Antetokounmpo sides with another Boston Celtics player as the best in the NBA over teammate Jayson Tatum.

Giannis Antetokounmpo names the best player currently in NBA and it’s not Jayson Tatum 

Jaylen Brown is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s pick as the NBA’s best player

With the arrival of the new NBA season, everyone has something to say about who the league’s top player is. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo who is considered among the best, chose a rival from the Eastern Conference.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has now found himself in the midst of a storm for picking Jaylen Brown as the league’s best player. In doing so, he favored one Celtics star over another, Jayson Tatum. He made this choice during an interview with Complex Sports. In his defense, he argued that the league’s best player had to be the one who won it all—case closed.

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I feel like the best player is the guy that wins a championship, wins it all, and is the best player for his team. So the best player in the NBA, probably I would say, is Jaylen Brown.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said to Complex Sports

His next statement was seen as a dig aimed at Denver Nuggets Nikola Jokic, who according to ESPN is the league’s best player. Jokic had won the NBA MVP title but failed to lead the then-defending champions past an Anthony Edwards-led Minnesota Timberwolves. 

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You cannot say you’re the best player if you’re on a team who didn’t win. It doesn’t matter if you got the MVP, or you’re All-NBA. If you don’t make your team win, that’s not the best.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added

For his part, Jayson Tatum hasn’t let the noise affect him, including his struggles at the Olympics. He delivered a masterclass performance as the Celtics opened their season with a 132-109 win over the New York Knicks.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s plan to make the Bucks better this season

Giannis Antetokounmpo without a doubt has already achieved a great deal in his NBA career. And despite his numerous accomplishments, he still remains motivated to prove himself as one of the league’s elite players.

Sadly, over the past two seasons, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, though Antetokounmpo’s absence due to injuries played a significant role in these early exits. He spoke to The Athletic’s Sam Amick where he laid down his challenge for the season. 

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This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy. A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f–king first round. Assert myself even more.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said

However, while he has challenged himself to return the Bucks to their rightful place, he has only one goal to accomplish. He would lead his team, to face the Philadelphia 76ers, who will have Joel Embiid and new signing Paul George absent, in their league opener.