Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks, and was named NBA Finals MVP
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The season started with Brooklyn Nets being the favorite to win it all and ended with Giannis and Milwaukee Bucks lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The 2021 NBA playoffs were arguably the best play-offs of the decade. Even Finals looked like a treat when the Western Conference Champions and regular-season number 1 seed, Phoenix Suns were leading 2-0, but then Giannis began to hunt them game after game and Bucks won the series 4-2.
Just when Chris Paul had his hands inches away from the Championship, after struggling to play in the finals for 15 seasons, Giannis snatched it from him.
At 26, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the youngest to win 2 MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP
With those feats, he’s already having his name in the Hall of Fame if he stops playing today. Add a championship to those achievements, nobody this young has ever led their franchise that drafted them, to a championship without having a second big-name All-star. That is not a shot at his teammates at all.
Both Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday were great in some matches, decent in others. Giannis however, carried them to the championship when it seemed far off.
It seems as though the recent NBA players rankings, by ESPN has made Antetokounmpo restless.
ESPN’s Top 10 players for the 2021-22 Season:
1.) Kevin Durant
2.) Giannis Antetokounmpo
3.) LeBron James
4.) Luka Doncic
5.) Steph Curry
6.) Nikola Jokic
7.) Joel Embiid
8.) Damian Lillard
9.) Anthony Davis
10.) James Harden— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) September 24, 2021
Has it been years too late for ESPN to put KD up there? ESPN did ignite a fire by putting up this list but everyone in the league knows who the best player in the league is. Giannis might or might not be irritated by those rankings but his statements do sound like he is going to start the 2021-22 season like he ended the last one.
Giannis Antetokounmpo on COSMOTE TV: “I can’t be fake. I am Giannis. But calling me MVP, calling me champ, calling me the best player in the world, is something that might hold me back. And I don’t want anything holding me back. I want to look forward and be better”
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 24, 2021
Giannis also talked about LeBron James being the best player in the world during the interview. He also brought up his beef with James Harden. It would be fun to see the Greek Freak and his Bucks come out and defend their championship this season.