Is Giannis Antetokounmpo the Best Transition Player in NBA History?

[@southpawjab4749]

Best transition player and best dunker in NBA history. People will finally acknowledge it when he leads the league in dunks for his career.

[@Wallyworld30]

Giannis already has the NBA record with 279 Dunks in 2019 season. He had 245 last year and is on pace for 282 this season. He's by far the best transition player of all time. Lebron is #2 and #3 is probably Magic.

[@Wallyworld30]

Giannis is only 600 Dunks away from passing Shaq all time. If god willing he stays healthy Giannis will pass Shaq in 3 years.

[@Lymbe06]

​@@Wallyworld30yep, Giannis is 624 dunks behind Shaq. However they only started counting in 1996 and that was 4 years in Shaq's career already.

[@ninjachannel007]

Ya'll just be saying stuff without checking to see what others are saying. He leads the league in dunks like every year, and people already acknowledge it.

[@Camdenro]

Bruh Giannis would easily be the last person I would want to try to stop in transition. Dudes scary

[@jos234]

@@Camdenro I’d tell my family not to watch if I had to guard him

[@tjleaf3510]

Cap. Guarding Zion gotta be worst. Imagine having to bang in the paint with a freakin xl refrigerator with a diesel engine

[@jos234]

@tjleaf3510 nah giannis is a nightmare, Zion is shorter

[@ry_an.]

@@tjleaf3510at least help defense can help with Zion since he’s 6’6. With Giannis, he’s already torched the big man so YOU are the help defense waiting to get dunked on

[@steelyerface21]

Yes, and its not a debate. most devastating guy in the open floor ever. Size, speed and power combo is unmatched

[@recoil53]

I would love to be able to see Giannis on the Showtime Lakers. Not only their fast break, but in their early offense.

[@jos234]

People are trying hard to name players like LeBron, Westbrook, DR J, Barkley, MJ, Wilt, etc…but come on giannis is basically 7ft, he has the longest strides I’ve ever seen and he’s a freak athlete with the best euro step, runs like a gazelle. so when you combine all of that and he his handles, but he mostly uses his footwork and he plays both finesse and bully ball lol yeah he’s the best in history. Let’s not get caught up in nostalgia. yes for a long time I thought it was Jordan but giannis is a whole different animal when it comes to physical gifts

[@Cell9074]

And with excellent vision it’s all too much

[@Anthonydu01630]

Lebron has the best 2 year stretch according to synergy, averaging 1.44 points per possession in transition between 2012-2014 (Watch thinking basketball video on the best peaks ever, the Lebron one).

[@nino_eskobar]

@@jos234 ima say giannis… bron … Westbrook… Jordan.. rose

[@sidekickht]

You are correct those are the longest recorded strides in nba history! About 9 foot long !

[@lotuslife3239]

It's a good thing Wilt didn't play in a more modern era that's all I'm saying. Wilt is the most athletic player in sports history.

[@KamrenMCOC]

I expect 100% that giannis is going to score in transition. Every time there is a fast break I'm yelling give it to giannis

[@ninjachannel007]

Why yell that when you already know they're looking to find him every single time? More like 'here comes Giannis' then yelling they should give it to him.

[@KamrenMCOC]

@ninjachannel007 pointless reply

[@SlenderManIsHere]

Lebron is 2nd but Giannis is definitely 1. He's literally 7 feet tall with the speed and agility of a point guard.

[@dr.headassmd9699]

Either has to be him or Bron for sure and it’s prolly Giannis

[@Anthonydu01630]

Lebron has the best 2 year stretch according to synergy, averaging 1.44 points per possession in transition between 2012-2014 (Watch thinking basketball video on the best peaks ever, the Lebron one).

[@rawbebaba]

Its for sure Giannis. He is the answer to "what if lebron was 7 feet tall and mean"

[@ivblizzard3616]

@@rawbebaba if you count passing too , it's LeBron ... if it's one man fastbreak its Giannis

[@rawbebaba]

@ivblizzard3616 nah, I mean giannis is also better at passing in the fast break too, considering he requires all other defenders to abandon their assignments, now often it doesn't matter and he dunks on them anyways, but because of his length more passing lanes are available to him. There's a reason why giannis assists to more 3pt shots than any player in the league

[@sidekickht]

💯💯💯​@@rawbebaba

[@romsawyer2694]

Bro is terrorizing his defenders in transition. He knows all his advantage, his length and strength. So yes, he's the best on that

[@johnandrei3667]

the only man in NBA history THAT I KNOW that ALL alone could play agaInst five AND WIN ONE AGAINST FIVE UNHEARD OF HE IS NOT HUMAN

[@trfgsjdfgdfg]

OF COURSE.10000000%...HE IS A MONSTER.HE IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!MVP

[@Pahle-ri6ij]

Giannis transition attack is like tax. Simply Guaranteed 2 points.

[@sidekickht]

7ft tall...9ft strides(longest in nba history) ...westbrook speed.. and guard like handle ...40 inch vert...with some of the best foot work youll ever see at high speeds ! GIANNIS IS THE BEST TRANSITION PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY! They even created a "wall defense" to try and slow him down!! This guys in a league of his own!

[@ninjachannel007]

Giannis does NOT have a 40 inch vert. It's more like 35, but he's 6'11 with a 7'5 wingspan, so he still gets the ball higher than anybody.

[@sidekickht]

@ninjachannel007 He actually has been recorded with a 40+plus inch vert a few times. He has a 7'3 wingspan, not 7'5.

[@nino_eskobar]

It’s him then LeBron nobody else comes close

[@TheIcemanthomas]

Magic definitely comes close

[@nino_eskobar]

@ he’s passing not scoring

[@motivationhub9534]

Definitely the best

[@ninjachannel007]

It comes down to Giannis and Miami Heat LeBron, specifically 2012-13. LeBron's ability to catch lobs over anybody during those years made him impossible to stop with a head of steam. I put Giannis ahead of him bc he CREATES transition when there's no advantage. The very first play in the vid you see that everyone is back, but Giannis just gathers speed and dunks on two people who knew exactly what he'd do. There was no fast break there. LeBron would have most likely stopped at the top of the key and gone into the offense, but every possession change is a transition play for Giannis in the literal sense, and that's the difference I think. Shout out to D'Aaron Fox....if he was just a bit taller.

[@WauwautosaTufGuy]

He’s big strong, athletic, long, can dribble I mean on a fast break he’s probably gonna do something nasty. Barkley was great in transition but he wasn’t near as long or as good of a dribbler. Or Ron’s great as well but he’s not as long either, so I’d go with Giannis.

[@Lymbe06]

You're right but Barkley's handle was deceptively good.

[@NIKOLASINGLESSIS]

He is a freak .... a Greek Freak !!!

[@youngking0704]

Yuh Giannis 💪🏾... Magic 80s Lakers fastbreaks similar results

[@sergiok6980]

If Giannis was in LA or GSW or Boston, Miami etc. he would have already 3~4 rings

[@Cell9074]

As a Giannis fan prime Westbrook definitely is one to remember

[@kolak0303]

Hes the one

[@torreshgustavo]

Yes he is.

[@worldzworstgamer6539]

Giannis speed up must be so scary

[@VasilisTountas]

Yes, he is!

[@NZ.1edits]

Yes he is i haven't even seen the video

[@JudeGill-tl8po]

Yes

[@nicholashazlett4369]

Yes. Not close

[@kingsakchefsalif70]

That lady who do the commentary love Gianni’s

[@MEpurgolders]

I’ll save y’all some time: Yes.

[@rickyvibes3315]

Giannis the best ever MVP

[@Mangooooo-r9v]

Definitely

[@YoDJNeon]

Yes he is

[@MangaSword8]

If u get Giannis in transition, chances are he scoring

[@TheIcemanthomas]

It’s a three man race between him bron and magic tbh. U know every time down magic was gonna either finish himself or find someone for a bucket. He created a ridiculous amount of offense on a game to game basis by just running.

[@brianduru3753]

It's LeBron. As great as Giannis is, he is doing this in the modern NBA when the floor is so spread and the paint is less crowded. I mean, his center Brook Lopez, spaces out to the three point line and causes the other teams big man to come out and guard him. LeBron was finishing with Shaq like efficiency at the rim in the 2000s with Varejao and Big Z on the court as well. There was much worse spacing. He basically won two MVPs, reached an NBA Finals and had back to back 60 win seasons in the 2000s with Cleveland without a reliable jumpshot or post moves, all because of how unstoppable he was going to the rim.

[@lancengmundo3427]

Nah, bron is beast in transition but giannis is the best in history. Lebron is not even close

[@Free-Night]

We’re talking transition it doesn’t matter if it’s spread offense a lot of these clips 2 or 3 players are in the paint and he still dunking and shit

[@ry_an.]

Giannis still dunks it over 2-3 guys every time, what video are you watching

[@brianduru3753]

@@ry_an. Are you sitting here and saying the paint is as packed today as it was in the 2000s?

[@ry_an.]

@@brianduru3753 that’s just the evolution of basketball. If Giannis sees 4 defenders he will kick out to a shooter. 7 second Suns were spacing the floor like they do today.

[@Dtheo444]

100%

[@Dante-st5bj]

Yep.

[@byakuyakuchiki5522]

Arguably but dont forget LBJ and Russ Westbrook

[@BrightNights645]

We forgetting them.

[@johnandrei3667]

THE GHOST

[@buddycooky]

yes he is

[@drich008]

Imo. Bron, Giannis, MJ, Magic, and Chris Paul are the best transition players in NBA history. Taking into account both playmaking and scoring

[@ΠάνοςΚουμπαρόπουλος]

He may be.

[@TheCarrot1983]

8:12 10:55

[@whynotkf3808]

Either Giannis or LeBron and Russ (Guards) They are “One Man Fastbreak”

[@SuperOZ1978]

3 steps are not considered travelling in the NBA? I mean, the man only needs 3 steps to go from one side of the court to the other, so he makes it seem like something easy.

[@poly_g6068]

For career... It's still LeBron, with a career 5 FPPG. He's done it longer than anyone else and it was much harder to lead in this category during the early years because the basket wouldn't count. It was just a foul unless you were Allen Iverson and could avoid the contact. He even has a season in the past 3 years ahead of Giannis in fastbreak PPG when he was 38 years old. A near 40 year old player was still ahead of Giannis, in one of his latest seasons. Respect to Giannis for dunking most of them, but it's not close.

[@ry_an.]

Giannis has had a higher transition PPG than any of LeBron’s seasons since they started tracking in 2015-16.

[@poly_g6068]

@@ry_an. LeBron's fastbreak PPG is still what's higher, that's all I'm saying. This stat has been tracked since 1996 and LeBron has led in it longer than Giannis has.

[@ry_an.]

@@poly_g6068 according to which metric? On NBA website, transition PPG, Giannis ranks #1 almost every season.

[@poly_g6068]

@@ry_an. Fastbreak PPG, it's not the same stat. It's been tracked since 1996 and it's older. Transition PPG has only been tracked since 2015

[@youngking0704]

His euro step from portugal 2 finland

[@johnhaney4475]

Magic and Bird maybe? Just because of their passing?

[@heatnix3223]

Bird? Hell nah, magic in the convo. Probably 3rd best behind Giannis and bron

[@bobbyorr6571]

Ima throw Sprewell and Westbrook in there with tha Freak n LBJ

[@Greenbean-g7c]

Zion(when healthy), Gianni’s and lebron are the most ruthless transition players in the nba

[@Wallyworld30]

Lebron James was the greatest transition player of all time by a country mile. Then Giannis came along and is twice as good as Lebron James. 2017 was Lebron best year he had a career best 145 Dunks that season. Giannis set the Dunk record in 2019 with 279 Dunks and he had 249 Dunks last season ('24 season). So far in 2025 season Giannis is on pace for 282 Dunks.

[@sdzielinski]

The Spirit of f Dr. J!

[@QiwenXu]

I think Lebron and Magic are better transition player

[@Iputshidown]

Magic? Now you just dick eating main cuz 😂

[@Anthonydu01630]

Lebron has the best 2 year stretch according to synergy, averaging 1.44 points per possession in transition between 2012-2014 (Watch thinking basketball video on the best peaks ever, the Lebron one). But it’s only scoring, if we add passing i think it’s close, but Lebron, Magic and Giannis are definitely the 3 best transition players ever

Gianis is the best ever

[@poly_g6068]

No??? Russell Westbrook averaged 8.2 fastbreak PPG in 2014 and he did it for an entire season. That is the NBA record. I don't see Giannis getting anywhere near that this year. 6.7 is very impressive but even if he finished the season with that it doesn't clear Westbrook's best.

[@ry_an.]

lol Giannis is averaging 8.2 transition PPG this season, according to the NBA website. Where are you getting your stats from? Giannis’ best transition season was 9.3 transition PPG. Once again, where are you getting your stats from?

[@Anthonydu01630]

Lebron has the best 2 year stretch according to synergy, averaging 1.44 points per possession in transition between 2012-2014 (Watch thinking basketball video on the best peaks ever, the Lebron one).

[@danielhuang1629]

😂😂😂anyone saying Giannis have no idea how great LeBron was in his prime

[@ry_an.]

Giannis is arguably a better transition player. No one can defend Giannis 1 on 1 in the open court

[@빈쭈-g1e]

2009 cleveland Lebron

[@brandonmbemba]

Glorified Ben Simmons

[@antoniostsiakmakia1461]

MALAKA WAKE UP😂 FREAK YES GREEK NO ITS THE NIGERIA FREAK ☝🏻‼️

[@IrvInTheGym]

No sir, that belongs to Bron

[@malachiross9734]

D rose?

[@میثمسلمانیان-ظ2ط]

Lebron

[@Itznik2]

Russ up there

[@poly_g6068]

He literally has the regular season record, lol

[@ry_an.]

@@poly_g6068no he doesn’t?? Giannis scores more points in transition on higher efficiency than both LeBron and Westbrook.

[@poly_g6068]

@@ry_an. Fastbreak ppg =/= transition ppg Don't worry, I'm just as confused as you are. Giannis has the most transition points per game, but Westbrook and LeBron have the most fastbreak PPG. There's a reason I used fastbreak instead, and it's because it has been tracked since 1996 and includes much more players. It's much more fair imo.

[@kdt.e.a.m]

LEBRON RAMONE JAIMEZ IS THE BEST DRIVER/TRAINSITION PLAYER OF THE BASKETBALL PERIODTTTT!!!!

[@sidekickht]

Giannis does it at a higher percentage and averages more pts off it. They had to try and build a wall of players to stop this guy!😂 ..He's the answer to "what if bron was 7ft tall"

[@user-gs5wt4ei1f]

How many times he travels three steps

[@Yak_eljefe]

Brother the nba allows 3 steps, this isn’t new…watch any game today and you’ll see many such cases

[@seuna.8438]

He is one of the few players taking advantage of the gather step rule. Only a very few times he takes more than 3 steps.

[@andilemakanza1768]

This video made me realize how often Giannis travels

[@gamzilo]

🤡 Name one player in the NBA who doesn't travel

[@Lazarocket64]

Clown, Giannis has some of, if not, the best footwork in the league.

[@themountain59]

He is the biggest travel agent ...that's 4sure😂

[@ry_an.]

LeBron is

[@themountain59]

@ry_an. They both could open an agency together 😁

[@isaaconYT-q3k]

LeBron

[@NSavvy17]

You had Dr J, Barkley, MJ, Wilt, etc. And the past players had more strict rules against traveling, and physical D with more prominent centers. Nothing against Giannis, just best transition player ever is bold.

[@infasis]

"Best" anything is always really subjective, since there's so many factors that are incomparable. But, even current players are so vastly different from each other, that I don't get why so many people are eager to definitively say players from different eras are better or worse than one another. It's "basketball", but they're not really playing the same game.

[@sidekickht]

No one can do what Giannis can in transition. Respect to OGs but they ain't seen walls of players trynna stand infront of them just to try and slow them down😂! That wall up defense was created bc of Giannis

[@NSavvy17]

Best today you have a great argument, but all time is indeed bold. Look at the defenders past players went against, the physicality, more restricted ball freedom. I mean nothing against Gobert, hes a good player, but hes a 4 time DPOY in todays game. The factors mentioned play no part in the transition? They said if you called every foul against Wilt, thered be no game at all. But Giannis clears? Again its nothing against Giannis, but all these factors mentioned is why saying hes the best of all time in transition is going to be quite a bold claim with todays product. Its not on Giannis, just the overall NBA product has declined.

[@JustSomePlumz]

It's actually Curry😤

[@thenegotiata]

🤯

[@jos234]

Best in transition would require jumping and dunking ability, more exciting to watch. Curry is great but he’s a shooter

[@danieldawang2120]

count the steps 12345 lol

[@gamzilo]

🤡

[@gamzilo]

Hater

[@sidekickht]

Cope casual 😂

[@danhantheman]

its lebron and its not close

[@babitan31]

Nope

[@Keyzzz02]

Zip it up when you done🤦🏽‍♂️

[@sidekickht]

Incorrect

[@thkalas]

no magic johnson is the best of all time in transition, there is no facking comparison.

[@sidekickht]

😂😂😂

[@Cell9074]

Yes

[@yanni2852]

100%

[@BucksIn4Koumpo]

Yes