NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal addresses Giannis Antetokounmpo’s improvement since winning the title, saying the kid can do it all.
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After being overlooked for most of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks are finally getting their due. The defending champions are on the quest to repeat, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading from the front. The Greek Freak graph as a player continues to show an upward curve.
The Bucks continue to shuffle between the top 3 seeds in the eastern conference. Giannis has become a regular in the MVP discussion, putting up gigantic statistics of 29.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 5.8 APG, and 1.4 BPG. The six-time All-Star is shooting an impressive 55.4% from the field and 72.2% from the FT line.
The reigning Finals MVP is in no mood to slow down and had added a jump shot to his offensive arsenal. Giannis is currently shooting 41.6% from mid-range, sinking fadeaway shots. The Bucks superstar, who was a liability at the FT line during the clutch time, has become the go-to person in the final minutes of the games.
During a recent episode of NBA on TNT, four-time champion Shaquille O’Neal spoke about the upward trend in Giannis’ graph as a player.
“The kid can do it all”: Shaquille O’Neal on Giannis Antetokoumpo.
Shaq’s admiration for Giannis is no secret, considering the Big Diesel was ready to lend his Superman nickname to the Greek Freak. Being one of the most dominant bigs during his era, Shaq believes Giannis has what it takes to be the best player in the world.
The Bucks MVP’s hustle and playing hard mentality have put him in the conversation of the all-time power forwards. However, it wasn’t all hunky-dory for the two-time MVP, having his share of hurdles on his way to success.
In light of Giannis winning his first championship, Shaq spoke about his confidence as a player when he won his first title with the Lakers.
“I was much more confident because we had the answers to the test. We had the blueprint, and you have to fail before you succeed. And we all saw him (Giannis) fail, he’s dribbling too much, going to the wall but he just kept coming. His game from last year’s championship to now, man this kid can do it all. His jumper, I can say nothing about his jumper at all.”
“This kid can do it all.”@SHAQ talks about @Giannis_An34‘s improvement since winning the title last season, pic.twitter.com/TKhqgN8uEZ
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 7, 2022
Some of the criticism Giannis faced during his career included failing to replicate regular-season success in the playoffs and being a liability at the FT line. The opposition would resort to forming a wall prohibiting the Greek Freak from driving to the rim, sending him to the FT line.
A true success story Giannis has shown us hardwood and perseverance can help one overcome all obstacles in life.