Among the NBA’s established stars, there are two different types of groups that could be considered the top tier, with some overlap. On one side are those who are currently playing the best basketball in the league. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are among the leaders of that group. Not to be forgotten are Los Angeles Lakers point guard Luka Doncic, Minnesota Timberwolves wing Anthony Edwards, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
On the other side are the OGs, whose careers have been Hall of Fame worthy. That group is commonly considered to be led by Lakers forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Believes He Has 4-6 Good Years Left
James, Curry, and Durant are all still playing at an extremely high level. Thus, their status isn’t only driven by their body of work.
Conversely, Jokic could be considered an OG as a three-time league MVP. So too could Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP who has also won the league’s Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards. With those two international stars now on the other side of 30, it’s fair to say they have fewer years remaining than years under their belt.
In fact, in a recent interview with ESPN reporter Jamal Collier, Antetokounmpo says he may only have four to six good years left.
“I’m in my thirties, obviously, [and] I believe that I have four [to] six years, still, of good basketball to give, but I got to be smarter,” Antetokounmpo answers while discussing his increased output from the midrange. “I got to be smarter in the way I play.”
Notably, Antetokounmpo has already taken 221 shots in the midrange, his highest mark since 2017-18 (335). As he’s taken 1,051 field goal attempts in 2024-25, that would mean 21.0 percent have come from that area of the floor.
Unlike 2017-18, he’s a much more refined jump shooter though. That season, he made just 33.7 percent of his midrange attempts. This season, he’s converted 46.6 percent of them.
Following Footsteps
The work that Antetokounmpo’s put in has been reminiscent of James.
After the 2007 NBA Finals, James felt he needed to improve his jumper to change how teams were defending him. Not only would it make him more comfortable but it allowed him to be more capable of winning championships. Antetokounmpo may also see his offensive evolution as a step towards winning another ring. However, it doesn’t sound like it’s about making defenses adjust so much as making sure he’s available.
To that point, Antetokounmpo has been injured the past two postseasons. In fact, he wasn’t able to suit up in the 2024 NBA Playoffs at all. The amount of contact he was absorbing and playing through had started to add up.
“Last year, I used to leave the game and I’m like, ‘Oh man, my knee hurts, my back hurts. Everything hurts,’” he says. “Now I leave the game and I’m like, ‘Oh, okay, cool. I feel better.’”
With Antetokounmpo reaching the 20K points milestone last week, his newfound shooting stroke will do wonders for him. Had James been unable to rely on his jumper, he may not have gotten to 50K career points. With that being said, Antetokounmpo may only envision four to six more years of elite play. However, he may have even more left in the tank than that.
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