Magic Johnson: Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Lead Bucks to NBA Title

Hall of Famer and Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson believes Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo can achieve whatever he wants to on the basketball court.

Johnson said in an interview with ESPN.com's Nick Friedell the 23-year-old Antetokounmpo can help deliver the franchise its second NBA title and noted similarities between himself and the Bucks forward:

"With his ball-handling skills and his passing ability. He plays above the rim; I never could do that. But in his understanding of the game, his basketball IQ, his creativity of shots for his teammates. That's where we [have the] same thing. Can bring it down, make a pass, make a play. I'm just happy he's starting in the All-Star Game because he deserves that. And he's going to be like an MVP, a champion, this dude he's going to put Milwaukee on the map. And I think he's going to bring them a championship one day."

The question isn't whether Antetokounmpo has the talent to be the best player on an NBA title contender. He has grown by leaps and bounds over his five seasons in the NBA and would have a larger presence in the MVP conversation if the Bucks were higher than sixth in the Eastern Conference.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He'll be all but unstoppable offensively if he ever develops a three-point shot. He's shooting 31.0 percent from beyond the arc this season and is a career 28.2 percent shooter on three-pointers.

Although Antetokounmpo is only in the first year of his four-year, $100 million extension with Milwaukee, Bucks fans likely feel an urgency regarding the team's performance. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported last July (h/t Sporting News' Jordan Heck) some teams are already looking ahead to the day the Greek Freak leaves the Bucks.

LeBron James made it a lot easier for NBA players to value championships over team loyalty when he signed with the Miami Heat in 2010.

In the summers since The Decision, Kevin Durant bolted Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors, and the combination of Al Horford and Gordon Hayward joined the Boston Celtics. Paul George, meanwhile, engineered a trade from the Indiana Pacers to the Thunder, making it apparent he wouldn't stay with Indiana in free agency.

That's why it's so important for the Bucks to select the right head coach to replace Jason Kidd, who they fired last week.

Should Milwaukee continue to spin its wheels under a new coach and fail to break through in the East, Antetokounmpo may depart for what he believes are greener pastures. An inspired hire, on the other hand, could be just what the Bucks need to unseat the Cleveland Cavaliers and challenge the Celtics for Eastern Conference supremacy, thus giving Antetokounmpo every reason to stay in Milwaukee.