Thursday night’s showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers could end up being a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. The matchup at the center of it all features Bucks MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo against Sixers star Joel Embiid, who has missed the last few games but it expected to return to the lineup on Thursday.
Antetokounmpo and Embiid might be the two best players in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo has grabbed that title this season, while Embiid is in the conversation. It’s ultimately a something for basketball fans to debate, but we know that Embiid fancies himself the most unstoppable player on the NBA, a title he bestowed on himself following Philadelphia’s win over Boston last month.
It was a wonderful soundbite made after a big win, and naturally, it led to some debate. Antetokounmpo, as one of the few players who can challenge for that title, got asked about the quote on Wednesday, and while he praised Embiid, he did find it curious that he said this out loud.
I asked Giannis what he thought about Joel Embiid calling himself the most unstoppable player in the NBA on March 20. Here's what Giannis had to say: pic.twitter.com/gFuMz54WVW
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) April 3, 2019
Antetokounmpo and Embiid are similar in terms of their drives to be the best player in the world and their hunger for a championship, but in terms of personality, they could not be farther apart from one another. Antetokounmpo is rather quiet and reserved, while Embiid is far more brash and in your face. It’s a fun contrast of styles, and one isn’t more “right” than the other, but hopefully this adds a little more fire to what should be an awfully competitive matchup on Thursday.
