Giannis Antetkounmpo is arguably the best player in the world, and has been for the past few years.

The Milwaukee Bucks franchise player is a two-time MVP, former Defensive Player of the Year and led his team to a championship in 2021 while taking home Finals MVP honors. Milwaukee is still a top-tier title contender this season, and Antetokounmpo has recently played perhaps the best basketball of his illustrious career—making a midseason push for another MVP in the process.

Even a notoriously competitive all-time great right in the thick of his prime, though, couldn't help but stan LeBron James on Friday as All-Star weekend begins.

Seeing the Los Angeles Lakers icon for the time since he broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record last week, Antetokounmpo showered James with the ultimate praise, saying he's long been the “biggest fan” of basketball's newly minted scoring king.

Awesome.

Antetokounmpo, of course, has never been above paying his superstar luminaries the due they deserve. At media day in September, he memorably balked at being called the game's best player. Why? The short-handed Bucks, unlike Steph Curry's Golden State Warriors, came up short of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy in last season's playoffs.

“Do I believe I’m the best player in the world? No. Thats the last one standing,” Antetokounmpo said. “Two years ago, yeah. But in my opinion the winner in the best…I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry until the next player does it.”

Antetokounmpo has certainly made a strong case for that distinction over the last few weeks, averaging a ridiculous 37.2 points, 13.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists on 58.4% shooting in his last 11 games before leaving Milwaukee's win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday early with a minor wrist injury.

We'll see who's earned Antetokounmpo's personal title of the world's best player come June. Either way, Giannis is setting an on and off-court blueprint of excellence every player in the league should look to follow—just like James before him.