“This old thing? I took it from Westbrook”: How Giannis Antetokounmpo borrowed his signature mean mug from the 2017 NBA MVP

Giannis Antetokounmpo and his mean mug are feared across the league, however, its origin story is one of character development and growth. 

Today we see the Greek Freak, or Greek God, more like, as perhaps the best player in the league. How he climbed the ladder and reached the pinnacle is a story in itself.

For now, we shift our attention to how the reigning Finals MVP’s mean mug came about. For the uninitiated, Giannis’ mean mug was not natural. He worked on it, attentively.

Also read: “I don’t think you can get them out of the top 10”: Pau Gasol gushes about the current crop of European superstars Jokic, Giannis, and Luka

How the 2014-15 season became the year Giannis Antetokounmpo emerged from the ashes

The Bucks just came off a 15-win season, and it was evident new coach Jason Kidd wanted to bring about some changes. Giannis arrived that year, with the same mindset.

He was done being the adorable young player, he wanted to be feared. The best way to do that is to develop a face, a mean face.

As a young player, he loved the scowl Russell Westbrook put on. The face he made after making a nuclear explosion-like dunk. The exclamation point on a game capped off with a mean face that meant only one thing, business.

Giannis emulated this in practice and his teammates would laugh. They were puzzled by the fact that he was trying to keep up a new facade.

All of that would fade away once he started showing off the lethal arsenal of skills he had developed over the summer. 2014-15 was the year Giannis would emerge. The rest is history.

Also read: “How the hell can Kobe Bryant only get 1 MVP during his career”: A reminder of the flawed MVP voting system and how it will rob Giannis Antetokounmpo

Excerpts from: https://www.theringer.com/2021/7/21/22585355/giannis-antetokounmpo-book-excerpt-the-improbable-rise