Kyle Korver Notes Differences Between LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo

Few players have had the pleasure of suiting up alongside both LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but one of them is former Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter Kyle Korver.

Ahead of Thursday night’s clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, Korver spoke about what it has been like to play with both transcendent NBA stars.

“I guess first, lucky me,” Korver said with a laugh. “I get to play with two of the best. Both just physical, just special in the God-given bodies that they have. Their ability to physically dominate the game, and their position, and get the ball in the open court, attack the basket, use their size. Giannis is longer, obviously, LeBron is more just dense. He’s just bigger. They both play to their strengths really well.”

Korver is currently playing alongside the defending MVP and is averaging 5.9 points per game. He played alongside James during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 season.

Both James and Antetokounmpo are in the MVP conversation this season and for good reason. Antetokounmpo currently boasts averages of 31.7 points, 12.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. James is averaging 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game.

“Giannis is just such a student of the game,” Korver said. “Like the first time we had a conversation he brought out a notebook and was taking notes. It was like, wow, that was really amazing. He does that with a lot of people. Any time he can learn he writes it down, he’s such a student of the game.”

His sentiment on James was strikingly similar.

“The thing that I respect the most about LeBron,” Korver said, “is that even after all the success, and MVPs, and championships, his dedication to his craft and to every game, night in, night out, it stays so high. He’s been given the world. He has everything the world can offer you. It’s hard to stay focused once you’ve gotten all of that and achieved what he’s achieved. But he still puts the game first, he respects the game, he honors the game with his daily approach.”

Tonight’s game will feature the teams that currently hold the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences. Both teams currently hold a record of 24-4.

While the outcome of the tonight’s matchup won’t impact the seeding for either team, it will certainly offer both superstars a potential preview of who they might end up facing off against in the 2020 NBA Finals.