Giannis Antetokounmpo vows to do 'whatever it takes to be better' as Milwaukee Bucks prepare for season of redemption
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the NBA’s reigning MVP for two years in a row, but he is not about to rest on his laurels. One area where Antetokounmpo has gotten better and better is on the defensive end. He is currently the league’s Defensive Player of the Year as well.
Despite his dominance on the court, Giannis Antetokounmpo has failed to lead the Bucks to the Finals both times he has won the MVP award. That could change this season as Milwaukee seeks to redeem itself from past failures.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to get better despite winning MVP twice
In a recent piece by ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Antetokounmpo is painted as someone obsessed with getting better.
"You wake up and you do whatever it takes to be better," Antetokounmpo said. "It is the whole day, the whole year, the whole life."
According to Andrews, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s competitive fires were fueled by his time growing up in Greece. In fact, it was his parents who were the catalysts in heating up the competitive juices in their children, and the Greek Freak relished the opportunity to win.
"I won," Antetokounmpo said. "But I hated [that] I took it seriously."
The Milwaukee Bucks go wherever Giannis Antetokounmpo takes them
On the court, as the Milwaukee Bucks prepare for the 2020-21 season to open in a week, Giannis Antetokounmpo will have to be better than he was a season ago. For one, he has to make his free throws.
In Monday’s game versus the Dallas Mavericks, Antetokounmpo missed his first six free throws and finished 1-for-7 at the line. The Bucks lost to the Mavs 128-112. Though it’s only a preseason game, Milwaukee will have to work on many aspects of their game if they want to avoid a similar result from the last two seasons.
After winning his second MVP award, the 26-year-old forward told everyone that he doesn’t want to be called MVP until he reaches the ultimate goal.
"Don't call me MVP," Antetokounmpo said. "Don't call me two-time MVP until I am a champion."
If the Milwaukee Bucks win the championship this season, it will be sweet redemption for Antetokounmpo.