“I Will Never Beg For an MVP Award”: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bold Statement Comes at Shaquille O’Neal’s Absolute Delight

Tonoy Sengupta | 11/04/2023
"I Will Never Beg For an MVP Award": Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bold Statement Comes at Shaquille O'Neal's Absolute Delight

Giannis Antetokounmpo is not a man that gets serious an awful lot. After all, there is a reason his persona is the lovable goof, who also just happens to be a 7-foot Adonis that makes even the biggest NBA players look like kindergarten children. However, when it is needed, there aren’t many in the world more determined than this man.

With this in mind, when it comes to conversations about who should be the MVP of the NBA, the Greek Freak is almost always amongst the top candidates available. However, since the man has won the award twice already, voters often tend to overlook him, citing voter fatigue as their reason.

So, what does Giannis himself think of the whole thing? Well, the man once revealed his very bold take on the matter. And while some might fault the man for being so blunt about things, it appears that Shaquille O’Neal couldn’t possibly agree with him further.

 

What did Giannis Antetokounmpo say?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of those players to whom legacy doesn’t seem to matter all too much when it comes to just the NBA. No, all he wants to do, is win the NBA championship over and over again. But more than that he wishes to do it the right way. And to make that a reality, the man plays hard during every single game, almost as if it could be his last.

So, when the man sees such a prestigious award go to somebody else despite all his hard work, apparently the man is fairly unfazed by it. Instead, he just shrugs his shoulders and had this to say on the topic.

“I believe in the last 5 years, I’ve been the MVP… I will never beg for an MVP award I believe I deserve”

Strong words from a very strong man, not to mention they also unquestionably ring true. Given both his team’s record as well as his individual stats, he could’ve had any of the last 5 MVP awards. Alas, NBA voters have to be complete children about things, deciding that their bias is going to decide the legacies of All-time great NBA players. It truly does bring a tear to the eye of any fan of the NBA.

 

Shaquille O’Neal evidently can’t help but agree

Shaquille O’Neal himself is someone who has felt that he should’ve won MVP awards that went to a certain someone else. So, he can likely associate with Giannis’s pain a lot better than most in NBA history. And so, with the Greek Freak’s words touching something in him (pause), he shared this on his Instagram story.

No words, just silent agreement. And frankly, given how badly Antetokounmpo has been slighted by NBA voters, we can’t help but stand with this Bucks superstar’s words either.

Post Edited By: Tonoy Sengupta
Giannis Antetokounmpo NBA Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta

Tonoy Sengupta is a Senior Editor at The SportsRush. Coming from an athletically inclined family, he has been surrounded by sports ever since he was 4 years old. But, while initially pouring all his time into Football (soccer), at 14, Tonoy discovered basketball through the countless highlights of Stephen Curry humiliating players from Curry Land. And just like that, a fiery passion for the game was ignited within Tonoy. And soon after, he decided to become a student of journalism, graduating in 2022, and choosing sports as his area of interest. Today, you can find him spending 99% of his time browsing through every type of content on every team in the NBA, before uncorking everything he has found to the world. In the 1% he isn't doing this, you can find him playing Basketball, Football, Volleyball, or practically any other sport he has had the opportunity to learn.

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