Giannis Antetokounmpo paid fellow Most Valuable Player candidate LeBron James the ultimate compliment by describing him as “an alien” in an interview after practice the other day. “It’s crazy. Obviously, for me, that’s one of my goals: to be able to play at a high level for the next 10 years. But he’s about to turn 35 this month and he’s moving like that, playing like that, and just playing smart,” he said of the 16-year veteran, whose Lakers his Bucks will be hosting today. And he’s right; no other National Basketball Association player has been able to perform at or near a peak for as long a time as the 15-time All-Star, not coincidentally the immediate past top vote-getter.
Antetokounmpo was, to be sure, being modest. He isn’t simply the reigning owner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy; he’s on track to retain the hardware with consistently outstanding performances this season. He’s pacing the league in player efficiency rating, second in scoring, and fifth in rebounds — all while being just 60th in minutes played. And his impact cannot be denied; the Bucks share the best record in the NBA with — who else? — the Lakers. And, unlike his idol, he has no Top Five talent in Anthony Davis to back him up.
Nonetheless, there can be no denying the rejuvenated manner in which James has approached his 2019–20 campaign. Not since his Heat days has he approached the regular season with as much purpose; instead of coasting along and waiting until the playoffs to show his best, he has seen fit to remain in high gear, but with strategic rest periods in between. And, so far at least, his gambit seems to be working; his minutes may be at a career low, but he hasn’t missed a game. He’s evidently primed to show that he still has a lot in the tank, especially given the prolonged vacation he got after missing the postseason for the first time since 2005.
Today, Antetokounmpo will, no doubt, be motivated to prove he deserves to be deemed the best of the best. Meanwhile, James figures to stem the inevitable changing of the guard with transcendent play. Never mind that the match matters little in the grand scheme of things. Forget that it’s being held in December, far removed from the games that truly carry high stakes. Unless and until the Bucks and Lakers meet in the Finals, they will not find another time to settle scores. The fans will be on their seats. A humdinger awaits.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
