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Giannis Antetokounmpo has carved out an inspiring basketball career. From dealing with the challenges back in Greece with his family to becoming a superstar in the NBA, it has been a journey for the Greek Freak. With the Milwaukee Bucks conquering the NBA Cup this year, let's rank Giannis Antetokounmpo's 10 greatest accomplishments of his career.
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1. 2021 NBA Champion and Finals MVP
The Greek Freak pretty much cemented his legacy after leading the Bucks to an NBA title in 2021. It was the franchise's first championship in five decades. Moreover, Antetokounmpo took care of business in historic fashion.
The Greek Freak finished with 50 points and 14 rebounds in the championship clincher to put away the Phoenix Suns for good, capped off by a clutch alley-oop dunk.
2. Back-to-back NBA MVPs
It wasn't long ago when Antetokounmpo established himself as an elite player in the league when he conquered his first NBA MVP back in 2019. The Bucks star averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while shooting nearly 58% from the field overall.
Shortly after, Antetokounmpo wasn't done, as he conquered his second-straight NBA MVP. He posted an improved 29.5 points and 13.6 rebounds to go along with 5.6 dimes per game.
3. 2024 NBA Cup Champion and MVP
Just recently, Antetokounmpo added more hardware to his already decorated NBA career. The Greek Freak helped the Bucks become the 2024 NBA Cup champions during the tournament's second edition.
In the In-Season Tournament, Giannis averaged 30.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, including a 26-19 double-double performance in the championship clincher against the Oklahoma City Thunder. For his efforts, it was only fitting that Antetokounmpo was crowned NBA Cup MVP.
4. 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Although Antetokounmpo is a force to be reckoned with offensively, the Greek Freak is also a menace on the defensive end. He cemented that during the 2019-20 season. Aside from winning his second-straight NBA MVP that year, Antetokounmpo was also crowned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Defensively, Giannis put up 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game. Furthermore, he also led the league in defensive rating. As a result, Antetokounmpo is only one of three players to win NBA MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year. The only other two players in that list are Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
5. Bucks all-time leader in points, assists, rebounds, and blocks
The Bucks franchise saw many players dawn their uniform. Some of the notable greats include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ray Allen, and Oscar Robertson. But fast-forward to today, Milwaukee now enjoys the greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The two-time NBA MVP even surpassed the previous franchise greats in terms of points, assists, rebounds, and blocks in a Bucks jersey. Giannis has totaled 6,498 points, 7,996 rebounds, 3,996 assists, and 1,022 blocks.
6. 2017 NBA Most Improved Player
Antetokounmpo came into the NBA as a scrawny kid from Greece. While he was just a raw prospect then, the Bucks patiently waited for him to develop into an MVP-caliber star. The Greek Freak certainly made the Bucks' wait worth it, marking his breakout season in 2016-2017. During that season, Antetokounmpo averaged 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
7. 64-point performance vs. Indiana Pacers
If you're wondering what's Antetokounmpo's highest scoring game, the answer was set just last season. Although there was a scuffle for the game ball that marred his brilliance, no one can take away the fact that the Greek Freak exploded for a career-high 64 points in the 140-126 win over the Indiana Pacers.
He shot 20-of-28 from the field overall and added 14 rebounds to his name. His 64-point performance was also a Bucks franchise record, surpassing his previous record of 59.
8. Eight All-NBA Team selections and All-Star appearances
Since his breakout season, Antetokounmpo has established himself as one of the premier power forwards of the game. As a result, it isn't a surprising that he has been a shoo-in in the past eight All-NBA Team selections. In addition to this, the Greek Freak is also a fixture during the NBA All-Star Game, having appeared in the festivities for the past eight editions.
9. 2024 FIBA OQT MVP and Olympic flag bearer
In 2024, Antetokounmpo answered the call of national team duty. With the 2024 FIBA OQT held in Greece, the Greek Freak didn't disappoint on his home turf. At the FIBA OQT, Giannis averaged 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game to be crowned the Tissot MVP.
But more importantly, his efforts paved the way for Greece to punch a ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. As a result, Antetokounmpo was named as the country's flag bearer before making his Olympics debut.
10. 2022 FIBA EuroBasket Top Scorer
Two years after winning his second NBA MVP, it was only about time the European basketball scene felt the impact of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
At the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket, the Greek Freak dominated the tournament with a scoring average of 29.3 points per game, which is the highest among players in the competition. He also added 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Greece finished fifth.
