Bucks' Giannis: 2020 NBA Title the 'Toughest Championship You Could Ever Win'

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo believes the circumstances of the NBA season will add to the achievement of winning the title, rather than devalue the accomplishment.

"This is going to be the toughest championship you could ever win," the reigning MVP told reporters Wednesday.

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks he thought the 2020 champion should receive an asterisk but to connote the same thing Antetokounmpo expressed.

Celtics head coach Brad Stevens echoed those thoughts, per the Boston Globe's Nicole Yang: "The idea of an asterisk next to this championship—[Rivers] said it exactly right. This is going to be a super unique situation, and whoever wins it is going to really earn it."

One could argue a player in Antetokounmpo's position has a vested interest in playing up the implications of winning the 2020 Finals.

The Bucks have the league's best record (53-12) and are a top title contender. Caesars Palace lists Milwaukee (+275) with the second-best championship odds behind the Los Angeles Lakers (+180).

Were the Bucks to lift the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, Antetokounmpo wouldn't want to see people downplay or minimize the work they put in to make it happen.

That said, his comments also speak to the reality of an unprecedented situation in the NBA.

Players are being asked to restart a season after not playing for months without a firm idea of when they might take the court again. In addition, they'll be playing in empty arenas at a neutral location when the games resume July 30.

And the coronavirus pandemic will cast a shadow over everything that happens.

Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan announced Monday he has tested positive for COVID-19 and won't make the trip to Orlando, Florida. When teams arrive in Orlando, there's the chance of more positive tests, further disrupting the proceedings.