Giannis Antetokounmpo is just 27 years old but he already has the accolades of a Hall Of Famer. Giannis is an NBA Champion, a 2-time MVP, and has also won DPOY and Finals MVP in his career. He has been named in the NBA’s Top 75 players ever and is seen as one of the best to ever do it already.
It’s never been about the accolades for the Greek Freak though, who always reiterates that he is focused on nothing other than winning and leading his team to as many championships as he can. His mentality was once again on display in his latest interview with The Athletic, as Giannis emphatically declared that he is tired of talking about whatever accomplishments he has accrued already and that he just wants to hoop.
“At the end of the day, all those compliments, I gotta put them on the side, and you gotta keep on working, because those compliments slow you down. They grab you and hold you back. … ‘Oh. I’m top 24 of all time. I’m the big dog over here.’ That just slows you down. I don’t want to think about that. I want to think about what I can do better.
“There are so many distractions now. Like, you made top 75, you’re No. 24, you’re the Finals MVP, you’re the two-time MVP, or you’re that or this or this or that. … I’m tired of this shit … well, I’m not tired of it, how can I say this? I’m tired of the compliments. Like, OK, guys, I know, but I just want to hoop. I just want to play basketball.
“I just want to keep playing basketball and see where it’s going to take me. Enjoy the game, every single moment, and that’s what I’ve done my whole career. I’ve tried to play hard, and I’m going to keep playing hard. It took me that far, and hopefully, it takes me even farther.”
Antetokounmpo may be tired of talking about his accolades but he seems to be on his way to collecting more of them this season. Giannis has arguably become the favorite to win MVP after Kevin Durant’s injury, which would put him in a very small group of players. His Bucks are on the rise as well, sitting just 2 games outside the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference.
