Legacy Watch: CP3 vs Antetokounmpo
Paul (3) vs Antetokounmpo (34) figures to be a raging match for legacies in NBA history with one at the close of his career and one seemingly at the tip of the iceberg. (via NBA.com)
With three games down in the NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns lead the Milwaukee Bucks 2-1 after the Bucks’ dominant victory in Game 3. However, the focus of the Finals has been on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul. For these two players, a championship can cement their legacy as winners when previously criticized for not reaching the pantheon.
Paul looks to secure himself an elusive NBA Championship in his first season with the Suns continuing to build on an already stellar resume. (Michael Gonzales/Getty Images)
Paul dubbed the “Point God” has accomplished just about everything an NBA player can hope to accomplish in their career. One thing that is missing from his resume is a championship. He is without a doubt, a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is an 11-time All-Star, 10 All-NBA selections (four times first team), four-time assist leader and a six-time steal leader among other accolades. The one knock against him has been his lack of deep postseason success.
Before this season, he made just one Conference Finals appearance, with this being his first trip to the Finals. Two times he has been one game short of making the Western Conference Finals (2008, 2015), unfortunately for him, he lost both Game 7s.
With his resume, he is a top ten point guard in NBA history. Some could argue right now that he is in the top five.
However, arguments could also be made that amongst his peers, players such as Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry are better. Players such as Curry, Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas are out of reach for Paul to reach due to their stunning championship resumes, with this championship series and depending on how he finishes up his career, he can move to solidify himself a spot in the top four to five of all-time point guards.
If he loses this series, especially after being up 2-1, this run of his and Suns could be a huge stain on his legacy. Considering the injury breaks the Suns have gotten in the first three rounds of the playoffs, not being able to capitalize on this could leave a big mark in the eyes of many.
Antetokounmpo continues to put up massive numbers in an attempt to win his first ring. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
For Giannis, this championship will skyrocket him up the all-time rankings. He would join Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and Finals MVP. That is great company to be in.
Being a mere 26 years old, the thought of this happening boggles the mind. He still has at least five to six more years of dominance where he can potentially rack up more accolades, while also being able to potentially stake claim to the title of the best player in the world.
A loss for him will only add fuel to the fire that he is a great regular season player but cannot live up to that in the playoffs. With a title now, he will be well on his way to getting into the conversation for a top 10-15 spot on the NBA’s all-time rankings.
