Former Los Angeles Lakers big man Mychal Thompson has weighed in on the MVP debate for the season. According to Thompson, who also happens to be the father of Golden State Warriors star Klay, he believes that it is LeBron James who should win the trophy over Milwaukee Bucks reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“Giannis is deserving of it too, obviously,” Thompson told Mark Medina of USA Today. “If he got it, there would not be any controversy at all. He was just as deserving. But LeBron was playing in a tougher conference.”

Thompson started off by praising Giannis, who has had a tremendous season with the Bucks this season. The 25-year-old has averaged 29.6 points (on 54.7 percent shooting), 13.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, and 1.5 3-pointers per ballgame. Those numbers are even more impressive than what he produced last year during his MVP-winning season. More importantly, the Bucks currently have the best record in the entire NBA (ahead of the Lakers) at 53-12, prior to the season suspension.

After laying that out, Thompson concluded by saying that in his mind, LeBron will always be more deserving simply because the Lakers are playing in the West — a much tougher conference. The Lakers are the owners of the best record in the West at 49-14, and for his part, James has likewise been having an amazing year. Now on season No. 17, the 35-year-old is putting up 25.7 points (on 49.8 percent from the floor), 7.9 rebounds, a career-best 10.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 2.2 triples per contest.

While Thompson does make a case here for the Lakers and their superstar, we're not even sure if an MVP will be awarded this season. The coronavirus pandemic is still in full swing, and the reality of the season being completely cancelled becomes more and more of a possibility as the days and weeks pass by.