The American ‘Greek Freak’ has just won his second straight NBA MVP award, making the Milwaukee Bucks player the first Greek to receive two of the prestigious awards.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s had another historic year with the Bucks, boasting an impressive stat line of 29.5/13.6/5.6. He had already won the Defensive Player of the Year award this season, making him the 3rd player in history to win MVP and DPOY in the same season.
He led the Bucks to the NBA’s best record this season, before Milwaukee was ousted from the playoffs by Miami in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“Giannis, in our minds, has done more than enough to deserve back-to-back MVPs,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said when the team was in the NBA’s restart bubble at Walt Disney World this summer.
“What he does for us on both ends of the floor, what he does every night, the way he sets the bar for us, culturewise, work ethicwise … he’s an incredible teammate, plays unselfishly, does everything. And I think that’s kind of what the MVP is, so we certainly feel like he’s very deserving.”
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There were some who contested the decision on social media, arguing Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James deserved the award. However, while a stand-out performer at 35 years of age, Giannis’ significant contribution to the Buck’s season is left relatively undebatable.
Giannis is the first player to win consecutive MVP awards since Steph Curry did so in 2015 and 2016.
