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Giannis Antetokounmpo

Who’ll Take the Throne from LeBron? Is Giannis Antetokounmpo New King?

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This is the 1st in a series of six articles about the top NBA superstars who hope to dethrone King James as the best player on the planet over the next decade.

As reigning MVP and odds on favorite to repeat again this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the superstar most analysts believe will dethrone LeBron James as the king and best player on the planet over the next decade.

As a likely back-to-back winner of the league’s regular season MVP, some have already the anointed Giannis as the new king, although that honor is premature since he has never won a championship or made it to the Finals. While the 6′ 11″, 240 lb 25-year old Antetokounmpo has the physical tools and potential talent to be the next king, he’s still going to have to develop a consistent jumper and the mental toughness to win a championship.

With just seven NBA seasons under his belt, Giannis Antetokounmpo possesses the greatest physical talent and athleticism of any of the current challengers looking to dethrone LeBron James as the king of the NBA. Should he continue to hone and develop his basketball skills and grow and mature as a competitor, there’s no question Giannis has the potential to take the throne from LeBron and hold onto it for the rest of the decade.

What happens this season and next will tell us a lot about the trajectory of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career. To take full advantage of his potential, Giannis needs to make it to the NBA Finals and ideally win a championship. While failing to reach those goals wouldn’t eliminate him from replacing LeBron, it would likely result in his leaving Milwaukee and joining a team with other superstars, which could change the dynamic of his career.

Giannis may be the favorite to become king of the NBA for the next decade but he’ll have to develop a consistent jumper and the mental toughness to win a championship and hold off a host of older and younger superstars.

How LeBron James’ Last Dance Could Deliver a Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty!

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There’s a chance LeBron James may choreograph an entirely different kind of last dance than the high scoring egos of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan created, one that could set the stage for a Los Angeles Lakers dynasty.

Unlike Bryant and Jordan, whose last dances were focused on the individual accomplishments of their personal careers as shoot first superstars, the pass first James may take an entirely different approach to the end of his career. Instead of demanding a max contract like Kobe and MJ did at the end, LeBron might be willing to accept less than the max salary to create cap space for the Lakers to sign a third superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That’s a move that not only opens the door for the Lakers to create a dynasty that would last beyond LeBron’s career but also give James opportunities to extend his personal career and honor his legacy with more championships. It’s also a move that might appeal to a selfless superstar like James who’s never been as burdened with taking and making the last shot as Bryant and Jordan nor measured his greatness by points scored or dollars earned.

A close scrutiny of the Los Angeles Lakers’ salary cap machinations clearly shows they believe this is a possibility as there is no way they could sign Antetokounmpo to a max contract without James agreeing to take less. Whether it’s Giannis or another max player, the Lakers know they need to find another superstar to pair with Anthony Davis and ultimately replace LeBron James to maintain the Lakers as an elite championship contender.

Watching LeBron embrace his role as a member of the Lakers and assume the leadership mantle from Kobe Bryant, I’m confident LeBron already has a different kind of last dance in mind as his Lakers’ career comes to a close.