Lakers News: Kobe Bryant challenges Giannis Antetokounmpo to win NBA MVP

The other day when Kobe Bryant was offering challenges for various other athletes and entertainers on Twitter as part of a marketing campaign for his newest shoes, Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo was sitting there hoping for his own:

A few days later, his Twitter-thirst was quenched:

Is such a goal actually realistic for Giannis? Following a career-best season that saw him 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists, Antetokounmpo has the fifth-best odds to win NBA MVP according to Bovada, so Bryant may not be taking one of his signature contested-jumpers with this prediction.

Still, Antetokounmpo would have to beat out players like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and James Harden in order to actually take the crown as the league’s most valuable player. That would be a tall task, but Bryant has never been one to set small goals. We’ll see if Antetokounmpo has the same #MambaMentality.

Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.