Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the league right now. He is the reigning Finals MVP, and he balled out in the playoffs last year. Giannis is playing like an MVP candidate and he will surely want to defend his crown. The Bucks will hope Giannis can replicate his magic as they look to repeat as champions.
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Giannis is already a two-time MVP, and he has won the defensive player of the year award as well. However, in the early stages of his career, the ‘Greek freak’ had to fight for his spot. With a new coach in Jason Kidd and the Bucks drafting Jabari Parker, Giannis was relegated to the bench.
Talking about that time, Giannis said, “J-Kidd, the new crew came, the new owners came. You could kind of feel it now. It’s business. It’s business, right? The first couple of games, I wasn’t starting. The No. 2 pick, JP (Jabari Parker), was starting. It was like, ‘Oh? OK. I gotta work for my position.”
“I gotta prove to this guy that I’m not a liability. Great. I proved it. I proved to this guy throughout the year that I’m not a liability. In the playoffs, I was starting. I was finishing games.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo and his meteoric rise
Antetokounmpo was drafted 15th overall in the NBA draft. He grew gradually in the Bucks ranks and in 2017; he led the team in all five categories. This was the first time in NBA history that a player had led the team in all categories.
After a couple of All-Star selections, Giannis won his first MVP award in 2019. He followed it up with another MVP trophy and the defensive player of the year award in 2020.
USA Today via Reuters
Jul 20, 2021; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) accepts the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award from NBA commissioner Adam Silver after game six of the 2021 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Regardless of his individual success, Giannis wasn’t able to achieve the same success with his team. The Bucks fell short each and every time and the criticism fell on Giannis. However, with the arrival of Jrue Holiday in 2021, he finally reached the top of the summit as they beat the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals.
Giannis capped off his amazing playoff run with a 50 point performance in Game 6 and he won the Finals MVP. Now, the ‘Greek Freak’ will surely look to defend his mantle as the Bucks look to repeat their success.
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