With all eyes focused on the Lakers, Nets, and the vaccination civil war within the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks remain in the shadows, quietly gearing up for their chance to repeat as NBA Champions.
Giannis, 26, is enjoying peak stardom after capturing the title last season. And while most would seek more attention, Giannis isn’t quite ready for the honor of being at the top. He doesn’t want to be comfortable.
Instead, he wants to continue his “chase” of greatness, just like he has since day one.
“I am Giannis,” Giannis said. “But calling me MVP, calling me champ, calling me the best player in the world, is something that might hold me back. And I don’t want anything holding me back. I want to look forward and be better.
I like being a hunter,” he added. “I am not the best player in the world. I am telling you, I am not! KD, LeBron, Kawhi, Luka, Curry, AD might be. I am not. I am still hunting the All-Time Greats. LeBron is still the best player in the world.”
A 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and 2x MVP, Antetokounmpo already has a resume most players dream about. He’s accomplished more in 8 years than most will in their entire NBA career.
Still, Giannis doesn’t want to lose an ounce of motivation and he seeks to get better at every opportunity he can.
“I was talking with a sports psychiatrist every day, he helped me be myself,” Giannis said. “The free throws were a mental issue and I want to continue like this in the next season. And I want to see if we can repeat this as a team. I want to see if we can do it again, myself, my teammates, the owners, everyone.”
Obviously, Giannis is among the best in the game. And while he jokingly dismissed himself from a seat at the top, people are still in denial about what he can do on the court.
This season, he’ll have another opportunity to show everyone what he’s capable of.
