Giannis Antetokounmpo, arguably the most dominant player in the NBA today, has a habit of preaching humility. The Milwaukee Bucks' superstar is always working to be the best but doesn't show his confidence in ways besides his play…at least, most of the time. There is always confidence and energy radiating from Antetokounmpo but he won't always say that out loud.
Antetokounmpo said this past September that he isn't that best player in the league and reiterated that point after the Bucks' win over the Chicago Bulls. He said that he has to get better.
Giannis #Antetokounmpo: "When you think you are the best, you stop becoming better. I always want to be humble and chase other players, other teams. It's a great compliment, but I'm not the best player in the world, I have to get better". @Sdnagr, @IONIKOS1972 #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/0cPcECEstP
— George Zakkas (@ZakkasGeorge) January 22, 2022
Antetokounmpo's point is that being stagnant with where he is could lead to cockiness that could harm his motivation to work hard. Although just about every superstar athlete puts themselves among the best players in their respective league, they continue putting in the work to make sure of that. Giannis certainly does that, but he chooses to let only his game do the talking.
Antetokounmpo has gotten better with every season — evidenced by his improvement in stats each year earlier in his career and his Most Improved Player Award — though outside shooting on a consistent basis is still a weakness of his. That hasn't mattered too much, as he just led the Bucks to a championship and Milwaukee can compete for even more titles in the coming years.
This season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. The Bucks are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. He could secure his third MVP award if the Bucks climb up in the standings.
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