Giannis Antetokounmpo made headlines last season and into the offseason as teams began doing their best to assemble a trade package to add him to their roster. Ultimately, the Miami Heat won the Giannis sweepstakes, adding the "Greek Freak" to a lineup that already featured former All-Stars Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, among other talented players. It boosted a roster that just missed making the playoffs last season, after losing in the SoFi Play-In Tournament.
With Giannis, the Heat entered the conversation as potential Eastern Conference contenders, and for good reason. The former NBA MVP and 2021 NBA champion brings plenty of skills to South Beach, and based on his motivational speech in his YouTube channel's new video, he believes he will rank high among the NBA's all-time greats. I wasn't Rookie of the Year.
But I'll tell you one thing: I'm top 20 of all time. ... I'm gonna get top 10," Antetokounmpo told players at Slam Charter School during a basketball clinic. More news: Stephen Curry Pays Tribute to ‘Iconic’ Warriors Coach Before Lakers Game Last season, Bleacher Report unveiled its ranking of the top 100 NBA players of all time.
The top 10 went as expected, with names including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the top. Other players ranked among the 10 best of all time included Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Stephen Curry. Some of the intriguing names just outside that top 10 include Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, both of whom rank among the top five all-time scorers in NBA history.
Durant is still playing and could reach the No. 3 or No. 2 spot on that list behind LeBron James before he retires. That's not to say Antetokounmpo isn't going to be an all-time great, but he's already declared himself a top 20 player, which would mean someone there has to go. Is it Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Nikola Jokic, Julius Erving, or Kevin Garnett?
For his NBA career, Giannis is averaging 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, five assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He played the fewest games of a season in his career in 2025-26 with the Bucks, but now there are high hopes for him with the Heat as they bring their new-look lineup to the East. Whether he can crack that all-time top 10 remains to be seen, as it could take a lot more effort and additional achievements for him to get there.
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