“Jason made Giannis toe the line” - Rod Thorn says 10x All-Star deserves a lot of credit for the player Giannis Antetokounmpo has become, believes he made Giannis accountable
Giannis Antetokounmpo's meteoric rise to the sport's top has been well documented. One person who played a pivotal role in the Greek Freak's rise to the top is the Bucks' former coach Jason Kidd.
In a conversation with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Rod Thorn spoke about Jason Kidd's role in Antetokounmpo's development. The 2021 Finals MVP led the Bucks to the NBA title last year.
"He goes to Milwaukee and should get a lot of credit for Giannis because Jason made Giannis toe the line, if you will, when Giannis was a rookie and they worked him and made him accountable. And Giannis obviously has turned out to be unbelievably good but Jason did a great job with him there," Thorn said.
The Milwaukee Bucks fired Jason Kidd from the head coaching job in 2018, and Antetokounmpo was reportedly "devastated" by the decision. The duo shared a good relationship. Kidd coached the Greek Freak from 2014 to 2018. He undoubtedly played a vital role in making Giannis one of the best players in the game.
The duo seems to have continued this positive relationship since. Antetokoumpo and Kidd reportedly spoke during the birth of the former's first child.
"Jason made Giannis toe the line, if you will, when Giannis was a rookie"
@HoopHall member Rod Thorn tells @TheFrankIsola & @Jumpshot8 why Jason Kidd deserves a lot of credit for the player Giannis Antetokounmpo has become #FearTheDeer https://t.co/TupHV5TCKG
Is Giannis Antetokounmpo underappreciated?
Arguably the best player in the world right now, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on a mission the last few seasons. He won the MVP award twice and the Defensive Player of the Year award. He's the only player other than Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon to win the MVP and DPOY in the same season.
The Greek Freak capped it off with an incredible postseason last year. He led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first championship since the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, winning the Finals MVP. Yet, he continues to be underappreciated just because of his inefficient jump shot.
The Bucks might not have advanced past the second round last season had Kevin Durant worn a smaller shoe. However, Antetokounmpo averaged nearly 32 points and 12.9 rebounds in that series. He did that while shooting better than 57%. He dropped 40 points in Game 7 of the series against the Brooklyn Nets.
Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't a flashy player. He bullies his opponents in the paint and dominates on defense.