Giannis Antetokounmpo Dunks On NBA ‘Superteams’ After Bucks Win Championship
“This is the hard way to do it and we did it.”
Milwaukee Bucks power forward and rising NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo came to play. In the Tuesday NBA finals matchup between the Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, he scored an astonishing 50 points in a performance that left pretty much everyone in awe.
In the end, he led the Bucks to their first championship since 1971. In comments after the game, Antetokounmpo did not come to play. He addressed why he stayed with the Bucks when many expected him to move to another team following the Bucks’ exit from round two of the 2020 NBA Playoffs.
"It's easy to go somewhere and win a championship with somebody else … this is the hard way to do and we did it."
Giannis Antetokounmpo talks the talk after winning it all #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/xoUJnmgIA3
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 21, 2021
Antetokounmpo, who is 26, said he’d signed his Bucks supermax extension contract in 2020 because he “couldn’t leave.”
“I couldn’t leave. There was a job that had to be finished,” he continued. It was a sentiment that earned the respect of players from other pro sports, like former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Nothing but respect for this kid. Stayed home and delivered the hardware. Congrats @Giannis_An34 @Bucks https://t.co/6RO5luK5Rr
— Julian Edelman (@Edelman11) July 21, 2021
Regarding Milwaukee, he said, “This is my city. They trust me. They believe in me. They believe in us. Even when we lost … obviously I wanted to get the job done.”
Giannis (often referred to by his first name because his last name has more syllables than most English speakers can handle) then threw some world-class shade:
But that’s my stubborn side. It’s easy to go somewhere and go win a championship with somebody else. It’s easy. I could go — I don’t want to put anybody on the spot — but I could go to a super team and just do my part and win a championship. But this is the hard way to do it, and this is the way to do it and we did it.
The Bucks stalwart was basically taking a shot at NBA stars like LeBron James, who became a part of a superteam when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat, and Kevin Durant, who essentially did the same when he joined the Brooklyn Nets.
One thing is clear: Milwaukee fans absolutely love the guy. On Wednesday Twitter lit up over Giannis again — because he went to get some chicken nuggets.
Giannis just pulled up to the Chic Fil A in Milwaukee and tried to bargain for free Chic Fil A for life.
NBA superstars, they’re just like us. pic.twitter.com/THHVimXaav
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 21, 2021
Giannis is on IG live going through the drive-through at Chick-fil-A; he ordered "50 exactly, not 51" chicken minis.😂He has both his MVP trophy & the NBA trophy with him in the backseat, says: "These trophies are not leaving my sight. What if I wake up and this is all a dream?"
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 21, 2021
Antetokounmpo ordered 50 — not 51 — nuggets.
Real champs know how to celebrate a legendary victory.
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