After a fantastic season, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks got sent backing on Sunday afternoon, losing Game 7 against Boston in a highly competitive series. Yet, even in defeat, the Greek Freak made sure to keep his emotions in check and think about how he can get better for next year:
“We gave everything we had,” insisted Giannis after the loss. “Guys came together, they realized that we got to get better as a team, we have to want it more. We have to work on our game. Hopefully, like this moment, instead of thinking that we lost something we can gain and learn in order for us to put ourselves in position to win another championship.”
"Hopefully like this moment, instead of thinking that we lost something we can gain and learn in order for us to put ourselves in position to win another championship."
-Giannis Antetokounmpo pic.twitter.com/QEwFmEST7L
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) May 15, 2022
Giannis, 27, just finished the eighth season of his career and it may have been his best one yet. In 67 games, he averaged 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on 55% shooting. In the playoffs, he was even better and nearly carried the Bucks to a Conference Finals appearance:
“We gotta start appreciating the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo,” said Kendrick Perkins on Giannis. “That was a LeBron James type of performance in the playoffs in the Garden. To walk into that hostile environment without one of your key guys in Khris Middleton and go in there and give them a 40-piece wing dinner, all-flats lemon pepper style and to do it in great fashion… and to take that three-point shot. We talk about everything Giannis can’t do, we talked about him when he couldn’t shoot free throws and was afraid to get to the line, he did that. And look at that moment, Giannis is not taking that shot last year. He has the confidence and when I talk about him on the verge of where he’s going as far as being an all-time great and being the second greatest power forward behind Tim Duncan if he keeps this up, but we’re going to have to talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo being on Mount Rushmore.”
After losing in the second round, nobody knows what the future has in store for the Bucks. Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Robin Lopez could all be traded, and head coach Mike Budenholzer could be let go. Whatever the case, the Bucks will go as far as Giannis takes them. As long as he’s there to lead the way, Milwaukee will always be a force in the East.
