Bucks Zone

Ronnie 2K explains why Giannis Antetokounmpo is the highest-rated player in NBA 2K23 over LeBron James

Giannis Antetokounmpo has developed at an exceptional rate, and no one is doubting that he's the best player in the NBA right now.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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Ronnie Singh, better known as Ronnie 2K, made an appearance on NBA Today and spoke about why NBA players pay so much attention to their ratings. He’s received criticism from players like Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson - about their ratings, but that doesn’t stop him from making his judgments.

Ronnie 2K’s team took a stance

Before the launch of every new NBA 2K edition, the craze is always about which player is going to be rated the highest. Although the league has an ever-changing landscape, LeBron James has been the highest-rated player for a long time. But the 2023 edition of the game has a new player on the top.

“Right before the season starts it’s about who is that number one guy. This year we identified Giannis Antetokounmpo as our number one rating,” Ronnie 2K said. “LeBron has held the mantle for almost 14-15 years - he’s been the highest rated guy at the launch of our game, but somebody has surpassed him.”

“We took a stance and Giannis is our highest rated player at 97,” he added.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been growing at an exceptional rate, and his dominance on both ends of the floor is unparalleled – which explains his rating.

The evolution of Giannis

When Giannis entered the league in 2013, he was a skinny kid with some physical gifts. Over the years, he’s taken his game to a level where even the best defenders in the league have trouble guarding him.

Antetokounmpo has done a lot within nine seasons in the NBA, winning a title, two MVP awards, and Defensive Player of the Year. He has become the outspoken leader of the Bucks franchise and has consistently been in MVP discussions recently.

“I think that the last two years has been the evolution to getting to this moment,” Candace Parker said on NBA Today. “Because a lot of times we were saying that Giannis is the most dominant player, but now we’re all comfortable saying he is the best player.”

Giannis will inaugurate his tenth NBA season with a match-up against the Philadelphia 76ers on October, 20th. It will be interesting to see what kind of a start the Greek Freak gets off to and how he sets the tone for the 2022-23 season.

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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.