Giannis Antetokounmpo has started the season on fire and is on a mission to become the best player in the world.In the summer, the 22-year-old stated that he believes he can win MVP this year and though many doubt it can happen so soon, he's already putting forward a strong case.In the opening three games of the new campaign, he has put up staggering numbers against playoff-calibre teams.In the season-opener, he led the Milwaukee Bucks to an impressive road win against the Boston Celtics with a stat line of 37 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.

“When you watched Giannis tonight, you thought, that’s an MVP candidate right there.” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said after the game.That was followed up by a 34-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist showing against the Cleveland Cavaliers.If that wasn't incredible enough, he took it to another level in the Bucks' 113-110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers last night.The 'Greek Freak' was a menace on both ends of the floor and made huge plays to help his team eke out the victory.He posted a career-high 44 points, eight rebounds and four assists and scored 17 in the fourth quarter.After just three games, he could now be considered as the favourite for the MVP award.

Recognition

The admiration for Antetokounmpo across the league is vast but it's not just the media and fans who lavish praise on him, his peers are also recognising how great he is.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant challenged the young Bucks star to win MVP this year and it appears he's embracing it.

Other superstars in the league believe he's already destined to scoop the prize in the near future.

“He’s a very dynamic player, a very good player, on the path to greatness, that’s for sure, if he’s not already there,” LeBron James said.

“He has the skill set. He has the talent. He has a great coach that can help get him to that point (winning the MVP).”

Kevin Durant, who won the 2014 MVP, has named his fellow small forward as his favourite player in the league and has guaranteed that he will follow in his footsteps and claim the league's top individual honour.

After Giannis was named as the Most Improved Player last season, Durant sent him the following congratulatory message:

"Congrats on MIP, this dude is a specimen that we've never seen before and it's guaranteed that he will be an MVP one day! In fact, I called out this years MVP years ago so you gotta respect my knowledge for the game lol," Durant said.

Potential

With his dominance at such a young age, there's no telling just how much better he can become and how much he can accomplish throughout the rest his career.

Being 10 years younger than LeBron, he's primed to take over as the world's best player when the King calls it a day.

He may not be ready to claim the title now, but his time will come soon and he's humble enough to know that he still has a way to go to reach the level of King James.

“I’m not on that level,” Antetokounmpo said about comparisons to James, per ESPN's Nick Friedell.

“LeBron James is one of the best players in the league, and one of the best players to ever play the game. It’s great going against him, but I don’t think about that.”

Durant believes the All-Star's talent can potentially see him become the greatest player the game has ever seen.

"The Greek Freak, I think, is a force. I've never seen anything like him," Durant said. "His ceiling is probably — he could end up being the best player to ever play if he really wanted to. That's pretty scary to think about."

It's usually rare to see a player receive so much love from the entire NBA world, but the All-NBA star is deserving of the adulation as he's transcending the way the game is played and has a skill set that's never been seen before.

The sky is the limit for the Greek superstar and we're lucky to be witnessing greatness unfold before our very eyes.