Giannis Antetokounmpo is already putting a number on where he believes he belongs in NBA history.
As he heads into his debut season with the Miami Heat, Antetokounmpo said in a new video on his YouTube channel that he sees himself inside the league’s uppermost tier - and aiming even higher.
"I wasn't a top pick. I wasn't Rookie of the Year.
I wasn't all of that. 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.
That’s a strong statement from a player whose arrival instantly changed the look of Miami’s roster. The Heat landed the “Greek Freak” after teams spent last season and the offseason trying to put together a trade package for him. He now joins a group that already includes former All-Stars Bam Adebayo and Andrew Wiggins, along with other talent, giving Miami a much different feel after it fell short of the playoffs last season and lost in the SoFi Play-In Tournament.
The move has pushed the Heat into the conversation as possible Eastern Conference contenders, and Antetokounmpo’s own résumé explains why the buzz is real. He’s a former NBA MVP and a 2021 NBA champion, and his career numbers back up the confidence: 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, five assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game.
Still, claiming a spot in the all-time top 20 is one thing. Breaking into the top 10 is another conversation entirely.
Bleacher Report’s ranking of the top 100 NBA players of all time last season put Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the top of the list, with Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Stephen Curry also among the 10 best ever. Just outside that group were names like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant, both top-five all-time scorers.
Antetokounmpo’s declaration leaves plenty of familiar legends in the crosshairs if he wants to keep climbing - names such as Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Nikola Jokic, Julius Erving, and Kevin Garnett.
For now, the bold talk is matched by the opportunity in front of him. Last season, he played the fewest games of any year in his career with the Bucks, and Miami is hoping the new-look roster can turn that into a fresh start in the East. Whether the rest of his résumé can carry him into that top 10 remains the open question.
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Dennis Smith Jr. is part of that shuffle as well, and the Heats willingness to cycle him through the system shows how much attention they are paying to bench depth and organizational flexibility. At the same time, Miami still has broader roster questions hanging over it, including ongoing trade interest around Kyrie Irving and decisions involving Myron Gardner and Nick Richards, which keeps the bench picture from feeling settled just yet. [Read more 🡒]