The Milwaukee Bucks finally halted their seven-game skid on Saturday with a steady 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets. In only his second appearance since returning from an adductor issue, Giannis Antetokounmpo powered Milwaukee by scoring 29 points, pulling down eight rebounds and converting 80 percent of his shots.
The night carried extra significance when Antetokounmpo became the sixth youngest player in league history to reach 21,000 career points. After the game, he reflected on that milestone and made it clear he is not satisfied. He shared a forward looking prediction about his future scoring that is certain to draw LeBron James’ attention.
Trade speculation has followed Antetokounmpo for months and Milwaukee’s 9-12 start has not quieted it. Even so, the former MVP is off to one of the most productive beginnings of his career. Through 15 games, he is averaging 30.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 6.6 assists while hitting 64.3 percent of his attempts.
As he nears age 31, Antetokounmpo continues to score at an elite pace. That production has sparked questions about how high he could climb on the NBA’s all-time scoring ladder. He already sits inside the top 50 scorers in league history.
With 21,002 points, he currently stands at number 42 on the all time list. If he sustains his current level for several more seasons, he could surge upward. In his postgame comments, he told reporters that by the time he is 35, he wants to be in the conversation for a very high place on the all time scoring charts, making it clear that he is targeting the upper reaches of the list.
That statement naturally points toward James, who sits atop the rankings with 42,250 points.
Antetokounmpo’s scoring resume is already historic, yet he is still far from James’ total. The challenge becomes steeper because James continues to play at a high level and keeps adding to his record.
Even if Antetokounmpo were to play another decade and average roughly 2,000 points per season, he would still fall short of James’ current mark. Antetokounmpo has a strong chance of eventually cracking the top-10 all-time, but James has created a massive gap that few players will ever bridge.
For now, Antetokounmpo’s only path is to continue producing at an elite level and see where the numbers take him.
