Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the 2021 NBA All-Star Game MVP on Sunday night.
Team LeBron scored a 170-150 win over Team Durant in a game that was rather short on drama.
The Greek Freak, who finished with 35 points and seven rebounds on a perfect 16-of-16 from the field, received the Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP.
Giannis’ shooting performance was an All-Star record for the most shots attempted without a miss. In fact, he doubled the previous mark set by Hal Greer, who shot 8-of-8 from the field back in 1968.
The Greek Freak at its best
Giannis also increased his All-Star scoring average to 28.8 points per game, which is another record.
“It’s fun,” Giannis Antetokounmpo said postgame. “It’s fun. I was happy, my teammates had fun. Just being around great players it’s easy to play with.”
Although not having won an NBA championship with the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s skills have made him a standout sinde day one at the NBA.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Path to Stardom
The beloved NBA forward’s path to NBA stardom was never easy, despite his natural talent and penchant for hard work. He often felt like an outsider growing up in Athens, only receiving a Greek passport after he was invited to the 2013 NBA draft.
He ended up getting drafted 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I was born here,” the basketball wizard says in the video, shot in Athens. “I’ve never been to Nigeria… I went to Greek school… Until I was 18, I never left the country, so Greece was all I knew.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Son Liam-Charles Stealing the Game
😭❤️
(via @NBAonTNT)pic.twitter.com/PM1UGIoccg
— FanSided (@FanSided) March 8, 2021
Antetokounmpo’s nationality, in addition to his combination of size, speed and ball-handling skills earned him the nickname “Greek Freak”.
In 2016–17 he led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics of total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
He received the Most Improved Player award in 2017.
Antetokounmpo has received five All-Star selections, including being selected as an All-Star captain in 2019 and 2020, as he led the Eastern Conference in voting in these two years.
He is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
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