Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is using some new connections to help maximize his game next season. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the 29-year-old baller has been working with Jayson Tatum’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, out in Greece this summer.
“Fun detail from today’s story: Jayson Tatum’s longtime trainer Drew Hanlen had been in Greece training a ‘new client’ for most of the Finals. I’ll let you guess who that might be…he flew from Athens to Boston Monday morning to make Game 5,” wrote Shelburne.
Fresh off his championship win, Jayson Tatum is in the middle of major celebrations right now. In the series-clinching Game 5, many of his fans and friends came to show their support both on the sidelines and at home after the buzzer. Hanlen was among that crowd and he made the trip all the way from Greece to watch the historic moment.
Drew, 34, is a former guard for the Belmont University Men’s Basketball team and he now serves as the the basketball skills development trainer for Celtics star Jayson Tatum. He was a contributing member of the Celtics’ championship run this year and now it seems Hanlen is working overtime with a new client: Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was born in Athens, Greece.
Giannis, a 2x NBA MVP, is already one of the best players in the world and he’s coming off a solid campaign with averages of 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game on 61.1% shooting. Unfortunately, after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks are facing doubt and uncertainty about their future.
If Giannis is able to elevate his game to new levels next season, it could set the Bucks back on the right track and help him re-take his place as the best player in the world after the calf injury that sidelined him for most of the first round. Most importantly, if this trainer can get Giannis to shoot threes with the Bucks, they will be a team to fear in the East for years to come.
With Doc Rivers able to experience a whole training camp with this team, and Damian Lillard finally able to focus on the game, next season could be the one where the Bucks have a breakthrough and achieve their ultimate potential together. Clearly, Giannis isn’t taking any shortcuts with his training and he’s more determined now than ever to make amends for his failures and prove that his title-winning days can extend beyond just a single season.
So far, with the Celtics in full control, it remains to be seen if any team can challenge their rule. But as a 2x MVP, NBA champion, and 8x All-Star, the Greek Freak is more deserving than most to earn the benefit of the doubt. If he’s healthy next year, the Bucks will be back with a vengeance and Jayson Tatum may have to steal his old trainer back in order to keep up.
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