MILWAUKEE — There is only one Giannis Antetokounmpo, and there will only ever be one Giannis Antetokounmpo.
A singular force on the basketball court and off it, Antetokounmpo’s path to stardom has been riddled by obstacles beyond his control. Through poverty, racism, the loss of his father and a long, winding path to surviving in the NBA, Giannis has always put his morals and craft first.
That steadfast determination has brought prosperity to his life personally, as a proud father and a centerpiece to a loving family, and as a champion — one of the 75 greatest basketball players of all time; a list he’s steadily rising.
Adding to his accomplishments, the two-time MVP and NBA Champion is now the 52nd player in NBA History to reach 20,000 points. Antetokounmpo is now the sixth-youngest player to do so, behind a pantheon of basketball icons: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant.
When asked what sets Giannis apart from the dozen Hall of Fame-caliber players he’s coached and played alongside, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers told WTMJ that it comes down to his ‘spirit.’
“He’s as low maintenance as any — forget stars, any player I’ve been around,” Rivers said. “I love his spirit. Like I know the basketball part is great — he has as pure of a heart.”
Rivers likened Antetokounmpo to Kevin Garnett — arguably the greatest player Rivers ever coached, and one of the most intense competitors in this century of professional sports. Known to the masses for his rugged exterior and confidence-shattering trash talk, Garnett’s closest teammates and coaches know him as a passionate, heartful man behind the mask of his on-court persona.
And while that remains true of Antetokounmpo at times, Rivers made it clear that while they’re similar in their heart, they remain completely different in their personalities. Antetokounmpo, often more self-contained than Garnett was, almost always keeps his priorities in focus.
“You know everything that he says, when he says it to the team, is only about the right thing,” Rivers explained. “That really helps everybody else on his team become better players too.”
Antetokounmpo couldn’t help but agree with Rivers’ assessment of his emotional qualities, reflecting on his path to 20,000 points, and how his humility grounds him on this journey.
“Before I came to the NBA, I had to be locked… you know, locked in. When I came to the NBA, I looked around me and I said ‘The only way I can make it in this league is by working hard, and I have to show up every single day,'” Antetokounmpo explained to WTMJ.
Reflecting on conversations with other NBA greats throughout his career, Giannis learned an important lesson about himself and those who came before him:
“The greats never get bored, and as I worked, worked, worked, worked, and I got to a point that I realized what separates me form the other players around me and other people that played the game is my heart, my spirit, my work ethic, and how disciplined I am to repeat it.”
Soon after reaching his latest milestone with a 32-point, 15-rebound performance in only 25 minutes, Giannis put on a display of his unwavering work ethic.
Immediately following the game, during his on-court, postgame press conference, Giannis’ two young sons ran to him, clutching his leg in excitement to share a moment with their Dad.
A family man first, Giannis embraced his sons in the moment while seamlessly addressing Bucks fans in the building and watching at home.
After that? It was back to work for Giannis, who told WTMJ he briefly visited his children in the Bucks’ family room, kissed them goodnight, spoke to reporters, and got back to work, lifting weights despite being on the second night of a back-to-back with another looming over the weekend.
It was only after he recognized these qualities in himself that Antetokounmpo realized his true path to NBA stardom — one which was never planned, nor handed to him.
Giannis became the 20,000-point scorer and international sports icon he is today by staying true to the humble, hard-working kid who jumpstarted his basketball journey in Athens more than a decade and a half ago.
Because for Giannis, staying true to himself and the work that got him to this level of success is non-negotiable.
“It doesn’t matter what I feel… if I feel good, bad, if I’m bored, or I’m excited… if I’ve lost the game or won the game — it does not matter. I will do what is necessary,” Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t negotiate with myself.”
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