"Giannis has taken over the throne of being the BEST PLAYER in the NBA!" - Kendrick Perkins with an emphatic statement for the Bucks' star after OT win vs Nets and passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record

Kendrick Perkins gave a shoutout to Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, calling him the best player in the NBA. Perkins' comments come following Antetokounmpo's 44-point performance in the Bucks' 120-119 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday at Barclays Center.

It was a close game throughout, and Antetokounmpo deserves credit for winning it for his side. The "Greek Freak" made a clutch game-tying 3-point shot to level the score at 110 apiece. He then followed it up with a great effort to contest Kevin Durant's final shot of the regulation period, which the Nets star missed.

Giannis also surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the Bucks' all-time leading scorer when he made the game-tying three.

With the Bucks needing two points to win the game, Antetokounmpo converted two free throws with just three seconds left towards the end of overtime. Perkins, like many around the NBA world, was in awe of how dominant the two-time MVP has been. He took to Twitter to appreciate Antetokounmpo's performance, saying:

"I think it’s safe to say that Giannis has taken over the throne of being the BEST PLAYER in the NBA!!! Carry the hell on… #RealMambaMentality"

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"Give credit where it's due" - Shannon Sharpe believes Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA's best player right now

Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite his achievements so far, hasn't received enough appreciation for the player he is today. The 27-year-old has earned a top-six finish in MVP voting in each of his last four seasons, and he's likely to be in the top three by the end of this campaign.

A common argument made against Antetokounmpo being the best player in the league is that he's an average three-point and free throw shooter. Consequently, many claimed that he relies on scoring in the paint by using his strength and size advantage.

However, he has improved in those areas of his game over the years, and his clutch play against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday proves that.

Additionally, Antetokounmpo's intensity is arguably unparalleled at this point. The way he approaches every possession during a game on both sides of the floor is inspiring to watch. However, it often goes unnoticed because he has set the bar too high for himself so early in his career.

Antetokounmpo still has his fans in the NBA world, and popular sports personality Shannon Sharpe is among them. Sharpe took to Twitter to express his support for the Bucks star, saying:

"To whom it may concern: Giannis is currently the NBA’s best player. Don’t give me he can’t shoot the 3, doesn’t have a mid range gm, all he does is dunk or isn’t a gr8 ft shooter. Give credit when and where it’s DUE…"

Antetokounmpo has been in stellar form of late, which is promising for the Milwaukee Bucks' hopes of successfully defending their championship this year. He has scored over 30 points and grabbed at least ten boards in seven of his last eight matches.