Giannis says he doesn’t care about being the face of the NBA and that guys like Kevin Durant and James Harden can take that position up instead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks winning the 2021 NBA championship has officially cemented the ‘Greek Freak’s’ place in the uppermost echelon of NBA greats. His resume, everything from a Finals MVP to winning DPOY honors, is as complete as one can be. However, it’s intriguing to ponder over whether or not, currently, he’s ‘the guy’ in the NBA.
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Guys like Paul Pierce certainly believe so as he says winning a championship automatically makes the face of the league/best player in the league until taken off the throne. Giannis is most definitely one of the best players in the world right now, while also being an extremely marketable superstar.
A combination of greatness and marketability is a recipe for being considered the face of the NBA. Legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, they’ve all had the honor of quite literally representing the league.
Giannis dismisses the notion that he wants to be the face of the NBA.
Giannis is currently in Greece along with the Larry O’Brien trophy to celebrate the championship win in his home country. While there, the 2x MVP was asked about how he would feel if he was considered to be the face of the NBA. This prompted him to cast that narrative aside and claim he wants to solely focus on his family and being a hard worker.
“I don’t care about being the face of the NBA. Kevin Durant or James Harden can be. I want to be with my kids and my family. I want to win and enjoy the game. I want to be Giannis, the hard worker.”
“I don’t care about being the face of the NBA. KD or Harden can be. I want to be with my kids and my family, I want to win and enjoy the game. I want to be Giannis the hard worker.”
– Giannis Antetokounmpo
(via @harris_stavrou) pic.twitter.com/4IduZhf0jI— Top Ball Coverage (@TopBallCoverage) August 1, 2021
His mention of Harden in particular has led many NBA fans to believe that Giannis still has some animosity left within himself towards the former Houston Rocket. This however, is most probably not accurate in the slightest.
If anything, this quote from Giannis sums up what we know of him. A family man who’s sole purpose in the league is to strive towards multiple championship victories and nothing more.