There's a very strong argument to be made that, at the very least, the two best players in the world aren’t Americans.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic seem to be playing a different game than everybody else. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, from Canada, has some American ties due to his college basketball experience at the University of Kentucky and other stops throughout his career.
Regardless, with Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Luka Doncic, it's certainly fair to suggest that those are the best five players in the world.
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Still, some discredit them for whatever reason.
According to former Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Marko Milic, he understands why some have a hard time believing that Doncic and Jokic are two of the best players in the world, if not the best.
"In simple terms, [Americans] find it difficult to understand that Luka and Jokić are the best players in the world, because they are not according to their athletic standards, but mentally, technically, tactically and with a smile on their face they dominate the league and that is why they are always looking for something," Milic said to SIOL.net.
Doncic likely has to get a few more accolades and a championship under his belt before anybody compares him to Antetokounmpo and Jokic, but as a pure talent, he's as good as it gets around the NBA.
He doesn't have the same accolades those guys have regarding MVPs and whatnot, but that doesn't mean he's not one of the best players in the world.
As he touched on, things look different when Jokic and Doncic play the game.
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