The rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo is unarguably one of the greatest stories in the modern-day NBA. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and, like most mid-first-round draft picks; he was expected to become a solid role player.
Additionally, when Giannis entered the league, he was very thin and no way close to his current physique. But with years of hard work, the Greek Freak not only changed his physique but constantly improved his skills as well.
Fast forward to the 2021-22 NBA season, Giannis has already won two regular-season MVPs, an NBA Championship, an NBA DPOY award, and has many more accolades to his name.
However, if someone were to dissect his career and look at when he truly became the player that he is today, most will say that his career picked up when the Milwaukee Bucks parted ways with their then head coach Jason Kidd.
During his playing days, Kidd was a terrific player, but his coaching stint with the Bucks wasn’t so decorated. Despite that, Kidd recently revealed that he still believes he played a huge role in the rise of Giannis.
Via The Athletic:
“Yeah, it’s just to be honest with those guys, teach them a little defense and help them be successful. I don’t have to be hard. We don’t have to win every possession. But we want to compete. And just understand that my job is to help you. What are your goals? I did that in Milwaukee. I helped build one of the best players in the world (in Antetokounmpo), which some people give me credit (for) and some don’t — some don’t want to, whatever the fact.”
While the fruit of Giannis’ development might have caught the eye of the public after Kidd’s departure, he played a crucial role behind the scenes.
At the end of the day, whether people give Kidd the due credit or not, he was one of the most vital people responsible for the growth of the Greek Freak.
