NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s prediction of Giannis and his Bucks not winning a title this year might just be proven wrong.
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During an episode of ESPN’s ” The Jump” last month when the Bucks faced the Brooklyn Nets in the eastern conference semi-finals.
Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar was quoted saying, “I don’t think this year’s Bucks team is capable of winning the title.” the 6x NBA champion added by saying that Durant would kill the Bucks in the semi-finals.
However, the Bucks would go on to defeat the Nets in Game 7 in a neck-to-neck finish. The team would then advance to the ECF.
Also Read: Milwaukee Bucks Finals History: When was the last time the Bucks reached the NBA Finals?
Kareem Abdul Jabbar was selected as the first pick in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. During his tenure with the Bucks, the veteran was a 3x NBA MVP and won multiple scoring titles.
The former rookie of the year won his first title with the Bucks in 1971, which also is the team’s only championship win so far.
The Milwaukee Bucks are 4 wins away from an NBA championship, but are without Giannis
The Bucks are 6-2 since Kareem Abdul Jabbar said that they wouldn’t win a championship this year. The team has had some exceptional performances from the likes of Giannis Antetkounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday.
The Greek Freak, who has often been accused of underperforming during the post-season has silenced his critics, averaging 28.2 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 5.2 APG, scoring 55.1% from the field.
Unfortunately, Giannis injured himself during Game Four of the ECF. The 2x NBA MVP had hyperextended his knee that led to him missing the remaining games of the ECF.
However, the supporting cast of the Bucks stepped up during this moment of crisis, with exceptional performances by Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday.
Bobby Portis, who filled in for Giannis had a career playoff-high 22-points during Game five of the ECF. Teammate Khris Middleton has been sensational during the ECF, averaging 23.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 6.5 APG.
Middleton has been the player to go-to for the Bucks during the clutch moments of the match, his 20-points during the 4th quarter of Game three was something special.
The Milwaukee Bucks face the Phoenix Suns in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at the Phoenix Suns Arena. There are still doubts if Giannis would be available for Game 1.