Giannis Antetokounmpo says he’s not the best player in the world, LeBron James is

Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo may be the reigning NBA Finals MVP, but he’s not interested in resting on his laurels.

“Don’t call me champion. If all you hear is compliments, you relax and that’s something I don’t want,” Antetokounmpo told Euro Hoops recently. “I can’t be wrong. I’m Giannis. But to call myself MVP, to call me champion, to call me the best player in the world is something that could hold me back. And I don’t want anything to hold me back. I want to look to the future and be better.

“That’s why I don’t train with other players,” Antetokounmpo added. “I don’t want to be buddy with them. If we do that and then have coffee with them, can I go out into the court and use my elbow against them? Can I block or dunk on them? I can’t provoke “I’m genuine. If I love someone, I love them on the court too. I’m fully aware of that and I don’t want to put myself in that position.”

Antetokounmpo wants to stay in the hunter’s state of mind, as opposed to the hunted. As such, he doesn’t consider himself the best basketball player in the world. For him, that title still belongs to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

“I love to be a hunter,” Antetokounmpo said. “I am not the best player in the world. I tell you, I am not! KD, LeBron, Kawhi, Luka, Curry, AD could be. I am not. I always hunt the biggest of all time. LeBron is still the best player in the world. ”

Antetokounmpo might not consider himself the best player in the world, but after his game last season he is certainly in the conversation – like it or not.