Giannis Antetetokounmpo had a candid reply when he was asked if he was open to guard Jimmy Butler.
“Out of respect, you’ve got to let the coach make that adjustment,” Antetokounmpo told the media in the aftermath of the 128-126 OT win in Game 5 that saw the Milwaukee Bucks eliminated from the playoffs.
“We had our best defender on him … [Holiday] is so competitive. He plays so hard that he wanted to take the challenge. At the end of the day, I wish I could’ve guarded him more.”
The forward also added that the side never adjusted to Butler, the result of which was a 56-point explosion in Game 4, and a 42-point outing in the fifth that shut the doors on the Bucks’ deep playoff run.
“I don’t think as a team we made the right, or we didn’t make as many, adjustments as we could against him,” Antetokounmpo rued. He had 38 points and 20 rebounds but had some questionable bad plays in the fourth quarter of the game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Goes Ballistic When Asked If The Bucks Season Was A Failure
Antetokounmpo didn’t take it lightly when he was asked if the first-round exit meant a failure for Milwaukee, who was poised to go the distance.
“Oh, my God. You asked me the same question last year, Eric. Do you get a promotion every year on your job? No, right? So every year when you work, it’s a failure? No. Every year you work towards a goal, which is to get a promotion and take care of your family… It’s not a failure, there are steps to success… Michael Jordan played for 15 years and won 6 championships. The other 9 years were a failure?
“That’s what you’re telling me?” he asked. “Exactly, so why ask me that question? It’s the wrong question. There’s no failure in sports. There are good days and bad days, some days you’re able to be successful, and some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn.”
“That’s what sports is about, you don’t always win. This year, somebody else is going to win, simple as that… 50 years from 1971 to 2021 when we didn’t win a championship, it was 50 years of failure? No, it was not. It was steps to it. We were able to win one, hopefully, we can win another one. I am sorry, I didn’t mean to get personal.”
Credit to the superstar for keeping it real, while also being apologetic about by the end of his comments. The very fact that he apologized shows his maturity as a player, and that will surely hold him in good stead in the days to come.
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