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"He’s been so consistent and great!" - Giannis Antetokounmpo praises LeBron James for becoming the scoring leader

Giannis Antetokounmpo has nothing but kind words for “King James.”

Matthew Dugandzic

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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Tributes and admiration poured in when LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers became the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest to praise "King James."

Consistency

Giannis heaped praises on James, whom he admired for playing at a high level consistently for the past 20 years. The Greek Freak doesn't even see James slowing down in the near future.

"He's been so consistent and great for 20 years, and he's probably going to be great for 25 years…five more," Antetokounmpo said during the recent NBA All-Star Media Day.

James played for 11 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, four with the Miami Heat, and is now in his fifth year with the Lakers. James won a championship in every team that he played for, and for Antetokounmpo, that's what makes the 19-time All-Star great.

"He always does whatever it takes for his team to win," Antetokounmpo said.

Part of the vision

James overtook former Milwaukee Bucks star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time scoring list when he scored 38 points in the Lakers' 130-133 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 7th.

James, who now has 38,411 career points, went into that match against OKC needing just 36 points to pass Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 career points.

Antetokounmpo commended James further for his longevity and for keeping his body ready for the long grind.

Antetokounmpo, himself a multiple MVP winner, said he believed that becoming the NBA all-time leading scorer was something that James planned. The Greek Freak noted the opportunity to accomplish the rare feat came because of James' competitive nature and his ability to always be in shape.

"And I don't think that he ever thought that he's gonna be the all-time leading scorer. I don't think that is one of his goals, but just being available, being great and competing, trying to win. I think that put him in the position that he is right now," Antetokounmpo said.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.