Focus. It is a major aspect of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s game, and his life.
The focus on making himself the best basketball player in the world. The focus on making the Milwaukee Bucks the best basketball team in the world.
As revealed in a recent article on ESPN, Giannis’ singular focus is leading him to even turn down movie roles which could potentially expand his brand exponentially, but which would divert him from his singular focus.
“When approached about starring in “Space Jam 2” with LeBron James, Antetokounmpo declined. Being in the film would have required him to give up two weeks of private workouts to train with his fellow stars while making the movie, a total non-starter, given Antetokounmpo’s reclusive tendencies.
“I don’t like being Hollywood,” Antetokounmpo says. “I don’t like all this extra drama. I am just going to try to be me.”
Malika Andrews’ article about Giannis even delved into his longtime level of singular focus. Antetokounmpo would trace every single shot he missed during a game which the Bucks lost, and would drive down to the team’s former practice facility at what is now known as Mary, Mother of the Church Pastoral Center in St. Francis. He would spend hours re-taking those missed shots, further pushing the needle toward perfection.
The article also goes into his “scrupulous” shooting practice routine, showcasing how he’s working on one of the MVP candidate’s weaknesses in his game. He would even be so focused on his routine that during halftime shows at Bucks games, he’s out on the court, early, paying zero attention to the entertainment around him.
There’s a good 3.5 minutes left of halftime, Ja Rule is mid-song and Giannis is already out shooting. pic.twitter.com/sPoyVnpI7x
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 24, 2019
Perhaps the only thing that breaks’ Giannis’ singular focus: The person in front of him, someone he is totally present to in the moment. Such as when young Lily approached Giannis a couple weeks ago and received a lifetime memory from the superstar.
But that’s the warm-hearted exception. The focus is the rule.