Going into any playoff matchup, Milwaukee Bucks’ fans are confident because of one man. This is none other than the franchise centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo. Drafted by the Bucks as an 18-year-old, Giannis looked like the shell of a player that he is today. Over time, he developed his body and skills to finally become a two-time league MVP, and more recently, an NBA champion.

However, Giannis’ title attainment was not an easy path. Apart from going against some of the league’s stars like Kevin Durant, he would suffer from a hyper-extended left knee during the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks.

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Despite this, he defeated the odds to win the title. In a recent interview, Giannis shed light on why he chose not to wear a knee brace after the injury.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Explains His Defiance

In a recent interview with ‘The Athletic’, Giannis shed light on his choice of not wearing a knee brace and explained the reason behind it.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen where people wear a big brace on your knee, like Goran Dragic wears — a big brace. They told me, ‘Giannis, Tim Duncan wore this (so) wear this.’ I said, ‘Heeeell naw,'” said Giannis.

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“They said, ‘Giannis, you need to wear this.’ And they had made one specifically for me. I said, ‘Hell. No. I’m not wearing that shit,'” he added.

Thereafter, the ‘Greek Freak’ reasoned out why he chose not to wear the brace to protect his knee.

“I have this mentality like, with my mom and dad, when they were working back home (in Greece), they felt no pain, you know? Like, why? Why would I feel pain, you know?” he explained.

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Giannis stated that he never noticed his parents cry or complain about the hardships that they faced back in Greece. So it was his parents’ strong mindset that inspired him to not succumb to the pain. Thereafter, Giannis dominated the finals.

After going down 0-2 to the Suns, the Bucks would bounce back with 4 wins a row. Moreover, he would showcase a 50 point masterpiece in the series-clinching Game 6. Clearly, the strength of his mentality is beyond measure. It was due to his mentality and perseverance that the ‘Greek Freak’ fulfilled the title dreams of Bucks fans all over the world.