Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo sends dire warning to LeBron James, Michael Jordan with bizarre claim originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers now sit at 14–4 on the season, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference. Before LeBron James returned, there was a belief in some corners that he might drag the team down.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“If LeBron James returns he will need the ball; that is the primary way that he brings value to a team. He has proven he can do that with another on-ball star, going back to his successes with Dwyane Wade and Kyrie Irving, but he was always the No. 1 option. He is an improved shooter but he's hardly a 3-and-D wing; his value to the team decreases if he isn't handling the ball. Whether it's LeBron playing off-ball or LeBron taking touches away from Doncic and Reaves, he will be hurting the offense,” Lake Show Life’s Josh Cornelissen wrote. “Where the Lakers most desperately need help is on defense, and LeBron is not going to inject the team with energy and hustle at 40 years of age. The return of LeBron James could ruin this team's hot start and see them plummeting back into the morass of the Western Conference middle class -- or worse.”
However, the Lakers are undefeated when he plays, and everyone is getting their fair share of opportunities. After the Milwaukee Bucks’ most recent game, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear he’s coming for James’ scoring record.
“I think when I’m going to be 35 years old and sitting in this chair, we are going to have a discussion how I am the top list of all time in scoring,” Antetokounmpo told the media.
Those are strong words. James set the all-time scoring record in 2023 against the Thunder.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“To be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem, it means so much to me. It’s very humbling,” James said after breaking the record. “To everybody who’s ever been a part of this run with me the last 20 years, I just want to say thank you so much.”
To put things in perspective, James is a little over 42,000 points, while Antetokounmpo just surpassed 21,000 at age 30. James is still playing, so his total continues to climb. Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, is giving himself only four more years, with his 31st birthday coming on December 6.
Antetokounmpo has put a timeline on the scoring title—one that feels nearly impossible. It took James 20 seasons to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Antetokounmpo believes he’ll reach that mark by his 17th season. It’s a wait-and-see situation, but one that likely won’t come to pass by the time he turns 35.
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