Most analysts mocked the Milwaukee Bucks for taking Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round of the NBA Draft. Fast-forward to today and he's one of the most dominant forces in the history of the league.
A first-ballot Hall of Famer at the age of 27, the Greek Freak has already won everything in this league. He led a small-market team to its first championship in five decades, which is more than most NBA players accomplish in their entire careers.
That, plus Kevin Durant's recent failure with the Brooklyn Nets, made NBA analyst Colin Cowherd conclude that Giannis has already taken KD's spot in the league's hierarchy, going as far as to say that he's better than Durant has ever been.
Colin Cowherd: Kevin Durant Has Never Been The Best Player In The NBA
"We've spent a lot of time talking about KD this week. Giannis is better than KD has ever been," Cowherd said. "I hate to break it to you. KD was never the best player in this league. He was on the best team and was Finals MVP, I'm not disputing that."
"But he was never better than LeBron in his prime," Cowherd explained. "I never think there's a year where he's been better than LeBron. Giannis is significantly better than LeBron today. Not close... KD was never better than LeBron. When KD gets a lot of attention -- he's calling himself god now, wonderful. But Giannis is a better player than Kevin Durant."
Injuries have taken a toll on Durant over the past couple of years and maybe Father Time is finally catching up to him, so maybe it's not fair to compare him with a player who's just entering his prime.
Then again, if Giannis keeps up this pace in terms of production and individual accolades, it wouldn't be crazy to think that people will mention his name in the GOAT conversation once it's all said and done.
