NBA players vote Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best player to build around

The Bucks superstar received 52.4 percent of the votes from today's NBA players.

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Athletic conducted a poll asking current NBA players who they would prefer to build around if they had to choose one guy. It was no surprise that Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo topped the list by an overwhelming margin.

Dominant player

The poll involved 108 NBA players, and more than half of them voted for the Greek Freak as the player they’d want to build around. And why wouldn’t they? After all, Giannis is a two-time MVP, a Finals MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, a 7-time All-Star, and a member of the league’s 75th-anniversary team.

A legitimate MVP candidate year in and out, Giannis averaged 31.1 points on 55% shooting, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game in the regular season, numbers that any franchise would be ecstatic to have centered around their team.

The next most popular choice was the Denver Nuggets’ man in the middle, Nikola Jokic, who garnered 8.7% of the vote. Next was Dallas Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic, who received 6.3%.

No signs of slowing down

Apart from the numbers, Giannis’ approach to every single game sets him apart from the rest of his peers. Whether it’s the All-Star game, a regular season match, or the NBA Finals, Giannis always plays with a certain level of intensity and ferocity that has made him one of the most feared players in the league.

"He looks like he has no signs of slowing down," a player said of Antetokounmpo. "He's been dominating the NBA for so long. He's so serious about his craft and his work ethic. He's going to be great for at least another eight or nine years. That makes for a good, long run."