Giannis Antetokounmpo has already emerged as one of the best power forwards in the history of the NBA at age 27. He has won basically every honor that he can, winning all awards he has been eligible for except Rookie of the Year. The former DPOY, MIP, MVP, and Finals MVP has a true rags-to-riches story, unlike anyone else in the NBA.
Giannis entered the NBA in 2013 as the first pick outside the lottery and was taken as a massive risk by the Bucks. From 2014 onwards, the Bucks hired Jason Kidd as their head coach. Kidd is now setting the Western Conference alight with the Dallas Mavericks but he has one of the biggest hands in making Giannis who he is today.
Throughout the 4 seasons they worked together, Kidd couldn’t get the best results for the team but forced Giannis into taking a leap into the team’s best player. Giannis won Most Improved Player after Kidd started showing the near 7-footers skills with the ball. Hall of Famer Rod Thorn discussed why Kidd deserves a lot of the credit for Giannis’ personal success as a player.
"Jason made Giannis toe the line, if you will, when Giannis was a rookie"@Hoophall member Rod Thorn tells @TheFrankIsola & @Jumpshot8 why Jason Kidd deserves a lot of credit for the player Giannis Antetokounmpo has become #FearTheDeer | @Giannis_An34 pic.twitter.com/Xt25YPlxEL
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 17, 2022
“[Jason Kidd] should get a lot of credit for Giannis. Jason made Giannis toe the line, if you will, when Giannis was a rookie. They made him accountable, and Giannis obviously turned out to be unbelievably good. But Jason did a great job with him there,” Thorn shared on SiriusXM NBA Radio. (h/t Clutch Points)
Giannis and Kidd had a great relationship, with Giannis being upset when Kidd was eventually fired. Kidd’s successor Mike Budenholzer has helped Giannis continuously evolve his game and made him an NBA Champion.
Kidd is a fantastic coach when it comes to bringing the best out of his players. He had the Mavericks overperforming on their way to the Western Conference Finals and will be the mastermind behind Luka Doncic’s success in Dallas. Kidd couldn’t help Giannis win the big one but did equip him with the tools necessary to take the Bucks to the promised land.
