After claiming his first ever NBA Most Valuable Player Award last season, Giannis Antetokounmpo proved he won’t be resting on his laurels this year.
The 24-year-old Greek superstar became the first ever Bucks player to record a triple-double in the season opener, scattering 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Milwaukee’s impressive 117-111 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
The Mike Budenholzer-led team spoiled Russell Westbrook’s Rockets debut, as Antetokounmpo went head-to-head with last season’s MVP runner-up James Harden, who finished with 19 points, 7 boards, and 14 dimes.
The Greek Freak displayed a much improved jump shot throughout the game and even caught The Beard with an emphatic chase down rejection in the third quarter. Prior to start of the season, Harden was quite vocal that he should have won his second straight MVP over the Bucks star.
Antetokounmpo, meanwhile, earned himself yet another franchise record after his brilliant all-around play from both ends of the floor.
Ben Simmons came close to a trin the Philadelphia 76ers’ 107-93 win over the Boston Celtics when he scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and nine assists, while LeBron James also finished with a near triple-double of 18 points, nine rebounds, and eight dimes in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 102-112 defeat to the Clippers.
Antetokounmpo is expected to turn it up a notch this season after the Bucks failed to come out of the Eastern Conference last year and fell prey to eventual champions Toronto Raptors. He averaged 27.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 72 regular season games last year.
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