It’s not often that sports fans witness one superstar paying homage to another in the midst of an ongoing season. But, thanks to a few well-placed cameras, the NBA world was afforded a special peek behind the curtain after video of Giannis Antetokounmpo paying homage to LeBron James surfaced Friday.
The video, shot prior to the Bucks-Lakers game on Feb. 9, shows Antetokounmpo congratulating James two nights after he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. The 2022 All-Star captains didn’t meet on the floor that night with James sidelined by left ankle soreness, but the lingering injury didn’t prevent the 38-year-old from receiving his flowers during a heartfelt chat in the hallway of Crypto.com Arena.
“For 20 years, being so great for so long, man. I mean, I’ve been your biggest fan,” Antetokounmpo told James before the two dapped each other up.
The 28-year-old then continued his praise by acknowledging the legend’s impact on the game. “You set the blueprint for everybody, whoever is willing to follow it,” Antetokounmpo added.
By now, it’s far from secret that fans and pundits have often sized the former MVPs and NBA champions up against one another, with some even deeming Antetokounmpo as James’s heir apparent as his career winds down. However, to this point, James has yet to relinquish his standing as one of, if not the, best players in the world, as his longevity and sustained success has only added to the aura of his incredible 20th season.
With 38,411 career points (and counting), James seems to poised to add on to his landmark achievement before finally calling it quits. For now, though, it remains to been when he and Antetokounmpo will next face off with their teams splitting the season series. Both players face questions surrounding their health entering the All-Star break, with Antetokounmpo now dealing with a sprained wrist he sustained Thursday night.
