Giannis Antetokounmpo is just the third person in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same season and, looking back, it’s impossible to say he wasn’t deserving of either.
The dude put on a show the entire season, leading the Bucks to the best record in the NBA as he averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1 block per game on 55% shooting.
Unfortunately, Giannis and his squad were unable to win when it mattered most and they find themselves home instead of fighting for the Championship.
In an interview with Ernie Johnson of TNT, Giannis talked a bit about the award, but also about his team’s playoff shortcomings.
“Don’t call me MVP until I’m a champion,” he said.
“I’m happy for this award but I want more. You can never take these moments for granted. Obviously I’m disappointed in not being able to help my team get to the third round, but at the end of the day I know I have to get better, get my team to improve.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiDx3dkYh_Y
Giannis seems to have the right mindset about it. As great as it is to be crowned the MVP for the second-straight year, Antetokounmpo is clearly more focused on trying to get his team a Championship.
They fell short this year, in part because the supporting cast wasn’t able to step up.
This summer, the Bucks will do all they can to ensure The Greek Freak has as much help as he needs to close the deal. For them, the hope is that instead of their player winning the MVP award, their team will be hoisting that Larry O’Brien.
We will see soon enough how they fare in that endeavor.
