As the Milwaukee Bucks prepare for a do-or-die scenario later this week, their biggest star (Giannis Antetokounmpo) isn’t sweating the battle to come.
Speaking to the media after the Game 6 loss, the Greek Freak spoke honestly about the journey ahead and where his head is at heading into the final game of the series.
“Me personally, I don’t know. I’m gonna watch film in the morning and see. We’re gonna think about it. I know we have a great coaching staff, we have a great coach, great minds behind the scenes that are gonna tell us what adjustments to do. But at the end of the day, for me, I just have to go play,” Giannis said. “Go lead the team in any way I can. I want my teammates to play, I want them to have fun, to enjoy the moment.”
For Giannis, this next game isn’t just about a win or loss. It’s about learning from an experience that can make you better.
“No matter what happens, you grow from it,” Giannis continued. “I remember in 2018 we lost to Boston in a Game 7. I didn’t have the best game, but you learn from it. You learn what the atmosphere is like, when the ball gets heavy. So, no matter what happens, we’re gonna leave that game and we’re gonna be better. If we’re gonna be the team advancing, great, I hope so, we’re gonna play hard. If not, at the end of the day, we’re gonna learn. We’re gonna learn from this. We’re gonna be better.”
The Bucks finished the season with a 51-31 record overall, tied with the Celtics for the 2nd seed in the East. If Milwaukee won just one more game, it would be the Bucks who would be heading home for Game 7. Instead, they have to win against a hostile environment.
Somehow, Giannis relishes in adversity. And, win or lose, he sees Game 7 as an opportunity to grow as a player and as a leader. This is exactly the sort of thinking that helped Milwaukee win the title a year ago.
