How many NBA MVPs has Giannis Antetokounmpo won?
Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again among the best players in the NBA regular season in 2022-23. The Milwaukee Bucks star is one of three finalists to win the MVP award.
Antetokounmpo has won two NBA MVP awards in his 10-year career. The Milwaukee Bucks star first took home the award in the 2018-19 season as he led the team to an NBA-best 60-22 record.
He averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 57.8% from the field. He was able to beat out then-Houston Rockets guard James Harden and then-Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George for the award.
Antetokounmpo was able to repeat as MVP in the 2019-20 season, while also winning Defensive Player of the Year. The seven-time All-Star averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 55.3% from the field. The Bucks once again finished with an NBA-best 56-17 record in the COVID-19-shortened season.
This season, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 55.3% from the field.
He finished fifth in the league in scoring and third in rebounding. The 10th-year star was once again excellent on both ends, while leading his team to the best record in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks finished the season with a 58-24 record, however, they were 47-16 in the 63 games in which Antetokounmpo suited up.
He will compete with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic for the MVP award.
What is Giannis Antetokounmpo's status for Game 2 of the postseason?
Giannis Antetokounmpo was forced to leave Game 1 of the Milwaukee Bucks' first-round series against the Miami Heat with a lower back contusion after taking a hard fall.
Antetokounmpo played just 11 minutes in Game 1, finishing with six points and three rebounds, while shooting 2-4 from the field and 2-4 from the free-throw line. His status was up in the air ahead of Game 2 of the series, however, the Bucks announced that the two-time MVP will not play.
The Bucks are in a 1-0 hole as they were defeated 130-117 in Game 1. It will be up to Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday to pick up the slack in Antetokounmpo's absence. The Bucks were just 11-8 without their superstar in the 2022-23 season and are at risk of heading to Miami down 2-0.
Update: Giannis Antetokounmpo still has 2 MVPs but will be one of the front-runners for the Maurice Podoloff trophy in the 2023-23 NBA season.