Giannis on Curry: ‘The best player in the world is the person that’s the last one standing’

The mutual respect between two-time MVPs Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on display for quite a while. But perhaps never more so than on Sunday at the Milwaukee Bucks media day.

Antetokounmpo, who was recently ranked as the best player in the NBA by ESPN (Curry was ranked No. 5), was asked if he felt that he was the top player in the league. Always a rare blend of confidence and humility, Antetokounmpo said he wasn’t. He instead named Curry as the best player in the world, pointing to the Golden State Warriors recent run to a fourth championship in eight years.

“Do I believe that I’m one of the best players in the league, in the way I help my team be great and win games, it’s efficient and effective? Yeah, I do. I’m mature enough, I’m old enough to understand that” said the 2018-19 and 2019-20 MVP. “Do I believe I’m the best player in the world? No. I think the best player in the world is the person that’s the last one standing. The person that takes his team to the finish line and helps them win games and become champions ... So that’s how I view it. I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry, until the next player.”

Despite being more than six years apart in age, Curry and Antetokounmpo are two of the defining names of the current era of basketball, and have combined to win the last two Finals MVP trophies. They are, by any measure, two of the best, most important, and most popular players in the NBA.

And Curry, told of Antetokounmpo’s compliment at the Warriors media day, echoed the sentiment. Antetokounmpo’s Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns in six games to capture the 2021 title.

Gotta love mutual respect between all-time greats.