Lakers Veteran ‘Questions’ Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Lasting Impact as Joel Embiid Trumps in Favored List

The top 5 spots for the best centers of all time are being debated a lot lately. A while ago it was Mad Dog who brought up Shaquille O’Neal into the conversation, stating that Shaq can not be placed above the fifth spot on the list. Now, Metta Sandiford-Artest has come up with his own list.

As per Metta, the top 5 spots will be occupied by two of the current stars in the league, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Although he added that it would happen when they bid farewell to the league, he made a tall claim for these two stars. Apart from that, Metta also brought Giannis Antetokounmpo into the mix, only to question his position.

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t in conversation for top centers all time

He posted, “@JoelEmbiid is top 5 centers all time when career is over. The Joker might be in there as well.” While he is very confident when it comes to Embiid and the Joker, the LA Lakers veteran is not so sure about where Giannis would be on the said list. He added, “Greek Freak is center or PF?”.

It doesn’t seem like Metta is coming from a negative place while talking about Giannis as he mostly plays as a power forward or a small forward. But other than that, the NBA veteran has made a strong case for the two individuals as top 5 centers of all time.

When Giannis was asked about his position in an interview, he said that he goes by the requirements of the team and is comfortable playing at any position. He said, “I believe I can play at five, although it is not my natural position. Sometimes it’s hard to compete close to the basket all the time instead of creating situations. But sometimes you have to do things that will help the team.”

It doesn’t mean that Giannis has no experience of playing as a center, it’s just that he’d rather prioritize his team instead of sticking to a script. He said in that interview, “I have played in big games in the center position. I have played in this position in friendlies as well”.

Read More: Shaquille O’Neal Throws Billionaire Michael Jordan Into the Mix to Sound off Zion Williamson’s Sluggishness

With Metta allowing Jokic and Embiid two positions on the all-time list, the bigger question is, where does that leave Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Bill Russell?

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