The Milwaukee Bucks are in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1974.
Their best player back then was Lew Alcindor, better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He was a force in the paint that nobody could stop for 20 seasons.
The Bucks’ new dominant force is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He is close to accomplishing what Alcindor did with his time with the Bucks and that is winning a championship.
The Bucks need three more wins to accomplish that feat.
They need Antetokounmpo to continue on with his play in order to have a chance at winning it all.
Among the NBA stars in this league, where does he rank?
There are great players in this league, such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard.
Does Antetokounmpo fit into the upper echelon after this postseason?
The Resume
Antetokounmpo has a great resume for such a young career.
He has already garnered two MVP awards.
Also, he won Defensive Player of the Year.
His accomplishments have been extraordinary.
Most players in the league have not come close to his resume.
However, some are hesitant on putting him up there with other stars, despite the accolades.
Leonard and, someone like Joel Embiid, have not won an MVP award.
Some will still say that those players are ahead of Antetokounmpo.
Perhaps the team’s playoff failures have soured the NBA media on his standing in the league.
His resume should speak volumes and put him above other players.
It is not like his production has dwindled.
In fact, he is consistently getting better.
This Playoff Run Is Special
The Bucks have a chance to win the Finals and that is because of Antetokounmpo.
Throughout the first three games, he has been on a historical level.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is an unbelievable talent. pic.twitter.com/U1owOiuq9K
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 12, 2021
He is in an elite area right now with his game.
The NBA Finals are where you have your game shine the brightest.
That is exactly what he is doing at the moment.
The Phoenix Suns have no answer for him.
Antetokounmpo is at a level that most players cannot reach.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's 20 third-quarter points tonight are the most in an NBA Finals quarter since Michael Jordan on June 16, 1993 (22 points in 2Q). pic.twitter.com/sL1SdJLjGe
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) July 9, 2021
James Harden has not had a playoff run like this one.
The same can be said for Damian Lillard.
Embiid has never gotten out of the second-round.
What Antetokounmpo is doing is not an easy feat.
The title win would cement his young legacy as he continues to build on it.
This series can put him on the level of James and Durant without any hesitation.
His previous failures have hurt his case thus far.
However, he has improved drastically over the last couple of seasons.
Look where we are now.
Win or lose, Antetokounmpo is the best player in this series.
He battled Durant in round two in a series that nobody believed he had a chance winning.
His supporting cast is struggling, but he is willing them to win.
He is doing everything we want a top player in this league to do in the Finals.
Three more wins can put an end to the debate and have him ranked at the top of the league.
