‘Don’t think Giannis Antetokounmpo took his game to another level’: Charles Barkley explains how Bucks were able to beat his Suns in the NBA Finals

Hall of Famer Charles Barkley talks about Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, and how things went right for them in the NBA Finals

It has been an entire week since we got our new NBA Champions. The City of Milwaukee, after 50 long years, is once again a city of champions. After a hard grind in the Finals, where the odds were stacked against them, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks rallied to a 4-2 win.

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After losing two games in a row to begin the series, things did not look good for the Bucks. However, they rallied their forces and found a way to claim the Larry O’Brien trophy. The Bucks won four games in a trot to seal the series and crown themselves Champions. While everyone was happy for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Charles Barkley feels like that was not what resulted in the win.

“Giannis Antetokounmpo did Giannis things, others stepped up”: Charles Barkley

Spending a major chunk of his career in Phoenix, there was no doubt who Charles Barkley was rooting for these playoffs. However, when it came to the Finals, Barkley had to err to the side of logic. Even though he wanted his Suns to win, he couldn’t help but side with the Bucks.

In his interview with USA Today, Barkley was asked, “Giannis has already been a two-time MVP. But how did you see Giannis take his game even to another level more during the Bucks’ championship run?” 

To answer this, Barkley took no credit away from Giannis, while praising his other teammates.

“I don’t think he took his game to another level. I think the other guys stepped up. I thought the addition of Jrue Holiday, PJ Tucker and Bobby Portis were huge. Those guys are mentally tough. Giannis did Giannis things, and he obviously was special in that close-out game. But the guy won back-to-back MVP’s for a reason. He’s great.

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Chuck is right. Giannis did the usual Giannis things, and performed at a high level. However, the Bucks started winning only when Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday stepped up from Game 3 and beyond.