The NBA has spent the past decade building its international fan base. Basketball is now a global game with many teams having multiple international players on their rosters. As the game continues to grow, so does the fan base. In a recent interview, international soccer superstar Mbappe was asked who his top 5 NBA players are and Bucks fans will find a familiar name among them.
Le TOP 5 de @KMbappe ? @KingJames, @KDTrey5, @Giannis_An34, @Luka7Doncic & @jaytatum0 pic.twitter.com/f8f1R5AAht
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) January 3, 2023
Mbappe Reveals His Top 5 NBA Players
He did not have to think about it very long. After pausing briefly when the question was asked, he jumped right into his answer. He first listed off LeBron James and Kevin Durant. After another pause, he included Giannis Antetokounmpo. Then after a final pause, he rounded out his top 5 NBA players with Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. There are not many people that would argue with this list. It was great to see another superstar acknowledge Giannis’ greatness even if he did mention him third.
Giannis Going Up A Level
This year it feels like Giannis going up a level. He is coming off back-to-back games of 40 points and 20 rebounds which puts him on a very short list of people to ever do that. While his offensive stats are what people are fawning over, he has also been one of the premier defensive players in the league. Being able to score is one thing. Being able to shut down the other team is another. Giannis is the complete package and his game looks better than ever this year.
After his career is all said and done, it will be interesting to see where Giannis ranks among the all-time greats. If he keeps playing like this, he may find himself in the top 5 NBA players of all time.
Follow me on Twitter at @sorcerermatt, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here!
