The Milwaukee Bucks captured their first NBA championship in 50 years. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who took home Finals MVP, put a stamp on one of the most impressive playoff runs you will ever see.
Over 50 years of waiting – 18,344 days to be exact – may have been worth it for the Milwaukee Bucks and their loyal fanbase. Five decades separated Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s masterful performance in the 1971 NBA Finals and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s knockout punch in 2021, sending the Phoenix Suns home with arguably the most dominant Finals performance in history. One year after being drafted by the Bucks and finishing with a 15-67 record during his rookie season, Antetokounmpo was just a 19-year-old kid learning the daily lifestyle of an NBA player. He was trying to find his way in uncharted territory and figuring out how to adjust to the league’s physicality. Giannis quickly realized just how difficult it would be to win at the highest level, but it didn’t intimidate him. In July 2014, he vowed to never leave Milwaukee. He sensed there could be something special happening in the Brew City if they put in the necessary work and made the right moves. Almost exactly seven years later, his vision materialized. This was the dream Antetokounmpo and his family counted on when he signed his name on the Bucks’ five-year supermax extension last December. He refused to allow the playoff adversity to weigh on his decision to enter the 2021 free agency market. Instead of taking that opportunity to survey his options, he gave Milwaukee his long-term commitment. He knew this team wasn’t far from a championship trajectory. Now, he’s carrying the Larry O’Brien trophy around the city, including to the local Chick-Fil-A to order breakfast, and he’s a Finals MVP before his next contract even kicks in. “Legendary” might be selling his performance short over the last two weeks. In the six games of high-stakes basketball he’s been waiting for his entire life, Antetokounmpo aced the test. It’s worth remembering he hyperextended his knee on June 29, just seven days before the start of the Finals. Then, his underwhelming Game 1 showing — from a scoring perspective — put doubt into a lot of our minds that he would be ready for this type of vigorous challenge. Knowing what was on the line, Antetokounmpo pushed everything aside. No excuses were made. If anything, the pressure of falling down 2-0 in Phoenix only fueled him to discover the greatest version of himself. The chatter surrounding his weaknesses, the national skepticism of Milwaukee being potent enough to make real-time adjustments, and the devastating blow of Phoenix lighting them up for 20 threes in Game 2 — all of it motivated him. We just witnessed a transcendent player rise to unbelievable heights in the context of a single Finals performance (and complete playoff run). Antetokounmpo’s tour de force in Game 6 led to 50 points,14 rebounds, and five blocks in his 42 minutes. He shot 16-of-25 overall and converted 17 of his 19 free throws. He became the seventh player in NBA Finals history to drop 50-plus points, but the only one to do it on 25 or fewer shot attempts. It was the most efficient of all seven instances, with Giannis posting a 74.9% true shooting percentage. LeBron James holds the second-most efficient game on the list, from the 2018 Finals, when he scored 51 points on 69.2% true shooting in a loss. Among all 45 games in playoff history where a player scored 50 or more points, nobody had ever coupled it with five blocks on the defensive end. Until Tuesday, when Giannis erased multiple attempts from all over the floor: After the game, he reflected on how much it means to him just to see the internal growth and development of his own game since entering the league. Since 2013, he’s essentially played every role on the team. “It’s been a long journey,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’ve done it all, man. I did anything that I could just to be on the court, just to be in this position. I’ve not played, and I’ve come off the bench. When I was 18, I started on the team. I went to the front office and told them to send me to the G-League. I’ve played point guard. I’ve only defended. Only slashed from the corners and everything. Then, in my fourth year, I was able to lead as a ball handler. I’ve done it all. Tonight, that’s what I had to do. I had to do a little bit of everything. I had to defend, I had to rebound, I had to block. Did a little bit of everything.” For the series, Antetokounmpo capped off one of the most astounding Finals by any individual player. He averaged 35.2 points,13.2 rebounds,5.2 assists, and 1.8 blocks (on 65.8% true shooting) without cracking 40 minutes per game. Statistically, it can be viewed as a greater Finals stretch than LeBron’s best two championship series,2016 and 2020. The degree of difficulty and full context of 2016 will always give that victory a nod over most, but it speaks to Antetokounmpo’s accelerated career path that he’s already proven he can elevate his game to historical heights – especially on this stage. “It’s hard to find more words to describe what Giannis does,” Bucks’ head coach Mike Budenholzer said after winning the title.
