So Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP and reigning Finals MVP, crossed the 20,000-point threshold in his regular-season career. The achievement was met with the usual fanfare: highlight reels, social media buzz, and nods from analysts praising his dominance. At just 30 years old, Giannis reached this mark in fewer than 900 games but of course is not the youngest player to do it by any means. So let’s pump the brakes on the celebration. In the grand scheme of NBA history—and even within Giannis’s career—20,000 regular-season points is not a particularly significant milestone. Here’s why.
1. The 20,000-Point Club Isn’t Elite Anymore
Once upon a time, reaching 20,000 career points was a rare feat, reserved for the game’s all-time greats. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retired in 1989 with a then-record 38,387 points, only 20 players in NBA history had even cracked 20,000. Fast forward to March 2025, and that number has ballooned to 55. The expansion of the club reflects not just longevity but the evolution of the game itself.
Today’s NBA is a scoring bonanza. Pace has increased, three-point shooting has exploded, and defensive rules favor offensive freedom. In the 2023-24 season, the league-wide scoring average was 114.7 points per game, compared to 100.6 in 1994-95, Giannis’s birth year. Players like Kevin Durant (29,000+ points and counting) and James Harden (25,000+ and climbing) have crossed 20,000 with ease, thanks to high-usage roles and efficient shot diets. Giannis, averaging over 30 points per game in recent seasons, benefits from this era too. His 20,000 points, while impressive, are less a mark of singular greatness and more a byproduct of playing in a golden age for scorers.
2. Longevity Trumps Milestone Checkpoints
The 20,000-point mark is a nice round number, but it’s not a definitive benchmark of greatness. Consider the all-time scoring list: LeBron James sits atop with over 40,000 points (and counting), while legends like Karl Malone (36,928) and Kobe Bryant (33,643) dwarf Giannis’s current total. Even players like Carmelo Anthony (28,289) and Vince Carter (25,728)—stellar but not inner-circle icons—sailed past 20,000 by leaning on long careers rather than peak dominance.
Check out the table, Giannis has the ball in his hands more than anyone. These stats shout “stat padder”, hell, Giannis is in the wikipedia definition of a stat padder!
Giannis, at 30, is on pace to climb much higher, potentially challenging the 30,000-point club if he stays healthy. Which is not at all certain in the suicidal way he plays in the paint, barging with no regard for anyone. But that’s the point: 20,000 is just a pit stop, not a destination. Less a milestone and more a formality. Compare him to Michael Jordan, who retired with 32,292 points in just 1,072 games, or Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged 30.1 points over 1,045 games en route to 31,419. Giannis’s 20,000 in roughly 850 games is fast, but not unprecedented.
3. Giannis’s Legacy Isn’t About Points
Let’s be real: Giannis isn’t defined by regular-season scoring totals. Scoring 20,000 points doesn’t elevate his resume; it’s just another stat padding an already stacked portfolio. Compare that to LeBron, whose chase for 40,000 points became a narrative because it underscored his longevity atop the sport. For Giannis, 20,000 feels like a footnote to his real achievements: leading a small-market Bucks team to a title, ending Milwaukee’s 50-year drought, and doing it with a style that’s equal parts relentless and unguardable. Unless he gets any closer to another NBA title, every year he looks less and less like a freak and more and more like a timid stat padder that can’t learn new tricks. His playoff points are a pathetic comparison. (chart above)
4. The Milestone Ignores Context
Not all 20,000-point careers are created equal. Giannis reached the mark quickly, but so have others in this era. Kevin Durant hit 20,000 in 752 games, faster than Giannis, thanks to his sniper-like efficiency. Steph Curry, despite a late start and injury setbacks, crossed it in 855 games (as of his 2023 total, now higher). Harden did it in 979 games, buoyed by his free-throw mastery. Giannis’s path—built on paint dominance and transition buckets is pretty boring any way you cut it, but the raw number doesn’t scream “historic” when adjusted for games played and era. Plus, the milestone ignores the bigger picture. Giannis is a volume scorer doing the same thing again and again in the same way.
5. The Bar for Giannis Is Higher
For most players, 20,000 points would be a career-defining achievement. Does 20,000 points make him better than Tim Duncan (26,496 points, five titles)? Shaquille O’Neal (28,596 points, four titles)? Not really. His case rests on championships, accolades, and impact—not a checkpoint that dozens of players have hit.
If Giannis retired tomorrow with 20,000 points, his legacy would not be at all secure. If he plays another decade and reaches 35,000, no one will care about the 20,000 mark. It’s a fleeting moment in a career aiming for bigger numbers and bolder headlines. At his current rate, I see it much more likely that Giannis faces a gradual decline in everything. Fame, fuss, stats, everything is dropping.
So this is a Milestone, Not a Monument
Giannis Antetokounmpo reaching 20,000 regular-season points is a nice accolade, a shiny stat for trivia buffs and Bucks fans. But significant? Hardly. In an era of inflated scoring, with a player whose greatness should transcend box scores, this milestone feels more like a statistical inevitability than a defining moment. Giannis says he is chasing immortality—MVPs, rings, and maybe even LeBron’s record one day. He can just stay with the Bucks, keep playing the “not my fault, it’s everyone else”, keep getting 30 points a night in the regular season, keep losing in the playoffs with various excuses.
At best, 20,000 points is a speed bump on that road. At worst, it’s a distraction from what really matters: the fact that he scared to move to another team and play differently, the fact that he doesn’t seem to be able to improve.
