“Calling me the Best Player in the World will hold me back… I can’t be fake”: Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals an unorthodox mindset to constantly improve his game

Akash Murty | 25/09/2021
"Calling me the best player in the world will hold me back; I can't be fake": Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals an unorthodox mindset to constantly improve his game

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

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.

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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.

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 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.

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Bucks Giannis Jrue Holiday LeBron James

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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