MILWAUKEE BUCKS WIN NBA FINAL, GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO'S DREAM BECOME REAL
The Greek player broke the record for individuals in the NBA finals.
The Milwaukee Bucks finally managed to become the 2021 NBA champions after 50 years of title drought by defeating the Phoenix Suns in the final. The star player who contributed to the Bucks' victory was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who also won the MVP title in the final, which was quite tight.
Antetokounmpo even carved a record by contributing 50 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 2 assists. This record even became the first in the history of the NBA Finals, beating legends such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
The player, born in Athens, Greece, revealed that he was pleased with the club that had trusted him. This is an achievement that Antetokounmpo has been waiting for along with the team and colleagues he trusted when he debuted as an NBA player in 2013.
"I want to thank Milwaukee for believing in me, thank my teammates," said Antetokounmpo after accepting the Finals MVP award. "They played hard every freaking game. I trusted this team. I wanted to do it here in this city, I wanted to do it with these guys, so I'm happy. I'm happy that we were able to get it done."
View this post on Instagram
Antetokounmpo went straight to the stands when the referee blew the whistle signaling the game was over. He immediately joined his family and wore a hat that read "Champion" while waiting for the award ceremony. The victory celebration party atmosphere also continued into the dressing room, where the Bucks players opened bottles of champagne to celebrate their victory.
Despite the pandemic, Bucks fans packed the sports arena in the "Deer District". Reports reveal around 65,000 fans joined in celebrating the Bucks win this time.
A different story comes from Chris Paul, the Suns point guard who is an 11-time NBA All-Stars veteran making his first appearance in the Finals. The 36-year-old regretted that his team had not done much on several occasions to score points. Bad results in this final did not make Paul think about retiring.
The last time the Bucks won the NBA was in 1971. Players at that time were legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. The Bucks beat the Baltimore Bullets in the final 4-0.
View this post on Instagram
This 2021 final appearance will be the first since 1974, while for the Suns, it is the third time, the last being in 1993. This team has never once won a title.
Antetokounmpo is indeed in the spotlight in this year's final. Eight years ago, the young man was a nobody, was in the center of Athens, and now holds the trophy as a champion and MVP of the NBA. A dream come true story.
"Eight and a half years ago, before I came into the league, I didn't know where my next meal would come from. My mom was selling stuff in the street. And now I'm here, sitting at the top of the top, I'm extremely blessed."
"Even if I never have the chance to sit on this table ever again, I'm fine with it. I'm fine with it. I hope this can give everybody around the world hope and allow them to believe in their dreams," Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo's achievement in the NBA finals also made him a global icon. He became the first European player to win the Finals MVP title since Dirk Nowitzki, as well as the first player of African descent since Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon earned it in 1995.
"Obviously I represent both countries Nigeria and Greece," Antetokounmpo said.
"A lot of kids from there, not just from Nigeria, from the whole of Africa and the whole of Europe, I know that I'm a role model. This should make every person, every kid, anybody around the world believe in their dreams. No matter, whatever you feel, when you feel down when things don't look like it's going to happen for you, you might not make it in your career, might be basketball, might be anything. Just believe in what you're doing. Keep working.”
"Don't let nobody tell you what you can't be and what you cannot do."
View this post on Instagram
Since being selected by the Bucks in 2013, Antetokounmpo has always promised to bring the proud club of Milwaukee to a competitive level. This summer, he was even rumored to leave after becoming a free agent player. Instead, he signed a five-year contract to show his commitment to the Bucks.
The team's condition then changed by bringing in Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, and veteran player P.J Tucker. Fast forward seven months later, the Bucks had already achieved their goal of becoming NBA champions.
Antetokounmpo and his teammates, especially Khris Middleton, who has played since his inaugural season at the Bucks, impressed everyone. Even other NBA players expressed their admiration for the Bucks' results this season. Antetokounmpo's decision to stay instead of going to a team with lots of superstars in it proved correct.
"It's easy to go somewhere and go and win a championship with somebody else. It's easy," Antetokounmpo continued.
"I could go to a superteam and, you know, just do my part and win a championship. But this is the hard way to do it and the way we were going to do it. And we did it."
