Many of the NBA’s greatest stars played for the Los Angeles Lakers at some point in their careers. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the basketball players in the league that will long be remembered, and if his path intersects with the Californian’s, his legacy could be even greater.
The Greek has a guaranteed contract with the Bucks through the 2024-25 season. The following year, he had the option of remaining in Milwaukee or entering free agency. It is on that calendar that LeBron James will no longer play for the Lakers. By then, the forward’s path to the Crypto.com Arena will be clearer.
Below, we’ve listed the three main reasons why we think Giannis is the perfect player to fill LeBron’s spot once he leaves Los Angeles.
Although Giannis Antetokounmpo is 2.13 meters tall and can perfectly play center, his position in the Milwaukee Bucks is power forward because Brook Lopez plays the role of power forward. Things will be no different with the Los Angeles Lakers. Anthony Davis is five and “Anteto” is four. Just like James today.
Even among the wealthiest organizations in the world, fees matter. The Lakers are no different. LeBron James’ average annual salary in his final two seasons was $49 million. Antetokounmpo’s salary for the next two seasons will be almost the same (49.5 million each time). Although this salary is high, it is still affordable for Californians since it is exactly the same as “King James”.
Antetokounmpo is one of those players who puts individual goals ahead of collective goals, much like James. In addition, both of them are players who carry the team’s offensive burden, but this does not make them bear more pressure. The 28-year-old Greek has proven to be a leader and motivator in the dressing room, just like “The King”. In addition, he has a very good relationship with Lakers head coach Davin Hamm, who served as an assistant with the Bucks from 2018 to 2022, so he will be able to fully integrate with the coaching staff when he joins the team.