In what would have otherwise been just another regular season win for the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, franchise legend Giannis Antetokounmpo wrote his name in the record books once again.
The two-time NBA MVP surpassed NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most rebounds in Bucks history with his 14th board of the game. That was the highlight of Antetokounmpo's 26-point, 17-rebound performance in a 128-119 Bucks win over the Houston Rockets.
This latest record came four days after Antetokounmpo set the Milwaukee franchise mark for points in a single game with 64 points in Wednesday's win over the Indiana Pacers that was overshadowed by the game ball incident.
The Bucks made sure to get this game ball though and Antetokounmpo reflected on breaking another milestone previously set by Abdul-Jabbar. Antetokounmpo topped Abdul-Jabbar for most points in Bucks history in March 2022.
“It's a big honor,” Antetokounmpo said, via Jamal Collier. “I don't think anybody assumed the skinny kid from Greece that was drafted and supposed to play in the G-League was going to be in a position to break a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record.”
Reaching new heights
This accomplishment is just the latest in a long string of incredible feats for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The 29-year-old seems to be hitting a new level this season and that is a dangerous thing considering he still has plenty of prime years left.
In the span of four and a half years, Antetokounmpo won a championship (with Finals MVP honors), back-to-back MVPs, set the Bucks franchise record in career points, rebounds and assists (one of four players to lead one team in all three) and earned countless All-NBA and All-Star honors.
Despite all the successes that Antetokounmpo's already achieved during his 11-year NBA career, he's still hungry for more.
“I want to keep on playing the game at a high level,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to keep on taking care of my body and I know if I do that sometimes you break records. But at the end of the day, I'm beyond blessed to be the all-time leader in rebounds, but I got to keep going and keep moving forward.”
It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and mental fortitude to become the greatest player in a franchise's history before turning 30 years old. Giannis Antetokounmpo did just that though and still has plenty more left in the tank for the Bucks.
What a turnaround from eight months ago too when the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs after finishing with the best record in the regular season. Antetokounmpo didn’t allow that to leak into this season and is putting together another MVP case as Milwaukee tries to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference again.
Regardless of how you feel about his actions and reactions after Wednesday's game, there's no denying that Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the five best basketball players on the planet. He capped off a whirlwind week with another record-setting performance and appears to be on the hunt for more hardware come June.
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