Last Updated on February 27, 2025 by Caesar
Every NBA era produces its share of standout performers. The future Hall of Famers deliver special performances that include them in All-Star teams while driving their franchises deep into the playoffs.
In recent years, one of the biggest names in the game has been Giannis Antetokounmpo. A brilliant Power Forward, he’s been the star player at the Milwaukee Bucks since joining the team in 2013.
Chasing Glory
The key to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s star quality is his consistency. Every year, the man known as the ‘Greek Freak’ returns incredible stats across a long season. His talent deserves greater reward than his solitary NBA Championship from 2021, but he’s certainly earned plenty of individual recognition.
Antetokounmpo landed the Most Valuable Player award in that 2021 finals series. Despite the Bucks failing to win the pennant, he also claimed the season-long MVP awards in 2019 and 2020. As Milwaukee battles for a playoff place in 2025, current NBA MVP odds again put their star man among the favorites.
Injuries may ultimately frustrate both team and player this season, but at 30, Giannis Antetokounmpo has plenty of time to add more accolades to his impressive CV.
Early Promise
Milwaukee’s most influential player enjoyed an unconventional route to the top of professional basketball. While most stars progress through the college system, Antetokounmpo spent his formative years playing with Filathlitikos in the Greek Basket League.
Born in Athens, the young player developed his game at school, and a step up into Greek basketball was a logical progression. Antetokounmpo spent two years at Filathlitikos between 2011 and 2013, and after an impressive career at that level, he made himself available for the NBA draft.
Milwaukee Make a Move
The player’s confidence in his future career was justified. At the 2013 NBA draft, Giannis Antetokounmpo was picked up by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 15th pick of the first round.
He debuted at 18, and his rookie season was solid, if unspectacular. The youngster averaged 6.89 points over 77 games, but his total of 61 blocks was the best among rookies.
He was a work in progress, but Antetokounmpo was already showing some great promise.
Building To The Glory Years
Giannis Antetokounmpo began to deliver on his undoubted potential in his second season with the Milwaukee Bucks. He won an NBA Player of the Week award for the first time in his career after claiming 27 points and 15 rebounds in a defeat to the Houston Rockets.
Across that 2015/16 season, he averaged just under 17 points per game, as his scoring contributions began to make a genuine difference to his team’s progress. Antetokounmpo was, by now, a regular starter and an essential part of the Bucks’ roster. His development was going in the right direction, and the best was yet to come.
Individual Recognition
Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed the first of his NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019. The Bucks began the season as the league’s top seed but were beaten in the finals by the Toronto Raptors.
The campaign ended with that disappointment, but Antetokounmpo was undoubtedly the NBA’s star man. He ranked strongly for all key stats and finished his season with an outstanding efficiency rating of 30.9.
A year later, the Bucks’ power forward built on that momentum. Once again, Milwaukee was highly rated going into the campaign, and after an exceptional regular season, it entered the playoffs as the top seed.
This time, defeat came in the Conference semi-finals at the hands of the Miami Heat.
There was a danger that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career would have finished without the biggest prize in basketball. Happily for the player and all Milwaukee Bucks fans, the team finally secured the NBA Championship at the end of the 2021 season.
Antetokounmpo may have missed the regular season MVP, but his performances in the finals series earned him the equivalent award. He averaged an exceptional 35.2 points across the six games as the Bucks claimed their first title since 1971.
More to Come
Giannis Antetokounmpo passed 30 during the 2024/25 NBA season, but there’s no reason to believe that his best days are behind him. He remains a pivotal figure in the heart of the Milwaukee Bucks side and should have several more campaigns ahead.
The obvious question is whether he will win more accolades, either as an individual or as part of a championship-winning team. If he is to add to that solitary title victory from 2021, a move away from Milwaukee may be required.
He certainly has the quality, but there will be ongoing speculation as to whether Giannis Antetokounmpo should leave the Bucks. He undoubtedly has the talent for more medals, but maybe he needs a franchise that can match those ambitions.
