Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo plays defense against Kevin Durant during the Bucks win over the Nets.
What a turnaround year it has been for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. After a disappointing elimination in the 2020 Disney Bubble, many fans began to wonder if Giannis and the Bucks championship window was beginning to close and if the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player would ever capture that elusive first championship.
Antetokounmpo’s 2020-21 season seemed rather quiet, at least by his standards but was still an impressive showing nonetheless. Giannis put up 28.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game during the regular season and was able to lead the Bucks to the third overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
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Giannis Relinquishes ‘Face of the NBA’ Title to Nets Stars
In 2021 Giannis and his Bucks teammates proved all of the doubters wrong as they were able to defeat the Phoenix Suns and bring the first NBA title to Milwaukee since 1971. Many times during the playoffs, the Bucks seemed like they were heading towards another early elimination. Especially after a 39 point blowout at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets that put them down 0-2 in the series. However, the Bucks were able to persevere and win a Game 7 against an injury-riddled Nets squad to advance to the next round.
Giannis now has two regular-season Most Valuable Player awards, an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award, and an NBA Title. After defying all the odds most fans would agree that Giannis has become the new face of the NBA. But Giannis isn’t interested in that title at all, outside of basketball he just wants to live a normal life.
“I don’t care about being the face of the NBA. KD or Harden can be. I want to be with my kids and my family, I want to win and enjoy the game. I want to be Giannis the hard worker,” Giannis said per Harris Stavrou of SPORT24.
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Giannis Is Still Hungry for More
Often is the case that superstars win their first NBA title, scoring title, MVP award, or some other accolade that they have longed for and get satisfied with overcoming that hurdle. However, that is not the case for Giannis. Now that he has found his mojo and knows what it takes to win he wants to continue to do it, and reach new levels in every facet of the game.
“I love the playoffs and the pressure. I enjoy pressure, I didn’t care about the result,” Giannis continued. “And now what’s next? Now I know what it takes, now I want to do it again. It’s like challenging myself. I want to please my people even though I have nothing to prove”
Giannis Antetokounmpo: “I love the playoffs and the pressure. I enjoy pressure, i didn’t care about the result. And now what’s next? Now i know what it takes, now i want to do it again. It’s like challenging myself. I want to please my people even though i have nothing to prove”.
Giannis Still Thinks KD Is the Best Player in the World
Giannis for as long as he has been a superstar continues to carry an attitude of humility with how he approaches the game. He has long been compared to Kevin Durant by members of the media and has shut down the comparisons almost every time they have been brought up to him.
He holds Durant in very high regard and knows he is one of the greatest to ever grace a basketball court. Even after eliminating Durant and the Nets in Game 7, Giannis holds firm to his claim that Durant is the best player in the world.
With the Bucks looking to defend their NBA title and the Nets coming into next season fully healthy, fans could be in for one of the most anticipated playoff rematches of all time.
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