Nobody is a better basketball player in the world than Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to the video game developers at 2K Games.
The latest edition of the NBA’s marquee video game, NBA 2K23, releases on Friday and 2K has been releasing player ratings on social media Tuesday.
According to a tweet from the company, no one is rated higher than Giannis. The 2021 Finals MVP has an overall rating of 97 out of 100.
Giannis sits alone at the top of the list, while there are five players tied for second at a rating of 96 overall: Lebron James, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokić, Kevin Durant, and Joel Embiid.
Although being on the same level as the current MVP, Lebron, and Steph Curry would have thrilled most players, Durant has taken exception with his rating, calling his rating “laughable” on Twitter. He also asked why he wouldn’t be a 99 overall.
According to Sports Illustrated, only five players in history have ever received a 99 rating while actively playing: Lebron, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Only one player has ever received a 100 rating in the game — Shaquille O’Neal.
Giannis’ rating could certainly change, as developers continuously update the rosters and ratings throughout the season.
Heading into his 10th season with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis is a six-time all-star, a six-time All-NBA performer, a two-time MVP, the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year, the 2021 Finals MVP and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team.
The standard edition of the game is $59.99 on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and is $69.99 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. There is a version of the game, NBA 2K23 Championship Edition, that goes for $149.99.
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Contact Drake Bentley at (414) 391-5647 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @DrakeBentleyMJS.