Giannis: Lakers' LeBron James 'Setting the Blueprint' for NBA Players in the Future

While many fans, coaches and players may marvel at LeBron James' consistency on the court for the past two decades, what may be even more impressive is what the NBA's all-time leading scorer has managed to do off of it.

In the spotlight since he was a teenager at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, there has perhaps been no better of example of how to handle that unprecedented level of fame and attention than how James has done it.

He' set the ground work for the league's current stars and generations to come on how to conduct themselves away from the game, according to Milwaukee Bucks' superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"For 21 years, you never get in trouble, to be able to take in his family, protect this family, raise his kids the right way, you know, be happily married, all those things, it's perfect," Antetokounmpo said, via The Athletic's Joe Vardon. "He's kind of like setting the blueprint for the rest of us to go forward. That's what I want. I want to be able to do what I do on the court consistently, be good, be healthy, be available for my team, be able to, you know, raise my family in a bubble away from what I do on the court for them to have a normal life as much as I can. Stay out of trouble.

"And hopefully one day, you know, when I'm done from the game of basketball … maybe you mention me? I don't know. But he sets up the blueprint for all the athletes that enter the NBA to follow."

Antetokounmpo has gotten a chance to see James dominate since he was at his peak, entering the league during the latter's final year with the Miami Heat and fresh off winning back-to-back Finals MVPs.

And amid all that success, James has managed to build an off-court empire through endorsements and business ventures while also keeping his personal life relatively out of the spotlight.

He has been married to his high school sweetheart Savannah since 2013 and his sons Bronny and Bryce are budding basketball stars in their own right with the former set to begin his freshman season at USC.

James is now entering his 21st season in the NBA and still seems to be near the height of his powers, ready to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to another NBA title.

"Some guys might say he is No. 2, but other guys like me, I say he is No. 1, and he's still going," Antetokounmpo said of James, placing him ahead of Michael Jordan in his all-time rankings.

If there is a blueprint, Antetokounmpo has certainly been following it.

While he's been one of the most dominant players in the league over the past decade, winning two MVPs and an NBA title in that span, he's done it while being guarded, cloaked behind nike tech sweatsuits and dad jokes.

The 2021 NBA Finals MVP has had similar praise and admiration for Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and wants to follow in his footsteps by just disappearing once his career comes to an end.

"I want to be like Tim Duncan," Antetokounmpo said during an interview last year. "Where the hell is Tim Duncan? I don't know where Tim Duncan is."

"I want to play the game, and then you forget about me; you don't talk about me," he added.