Nike gave Giannis Antetokounmpo an epic tribute shortly after he was declared the 2018-19 Most Valuable Player, showing his trajectory from humble beginnings in Athens, Greece to his new reign with the Milwaukee Bucks, now atop the NBA world as the most pivotal player of this past regular season:

https://twitter.com/nikebasketball/status/1143357606242635776

Nike seems to have cashed in after signing The Greek Freak to a sneaker deal this past summer, not only working on his first signature sneaker, the Nike Freak, but also capitalizing on his rise as a superstar in the sport.

Antetokounmpo had perhaps a tougher road than most to get into the NBA, mostly drawing eyes as a physical specimen with athletic prowess and a blank canvas that could bloom into a star.

Yet it's hard to fathom that the Bucks thought of him as their next big name when they first drafted a 13-lettered last name from Greece with the 15th pick of the 2013 NBA Draft.

Antetokounmpo's first two seasons didn't point to greatness, but his third season, this time under former coach Jason Kidd, helped shape him as a player — making the most of his playmaking ability and capitalizing on his all-around defensive awareness.

Mike Budenholzer's system only helped extrapolate these skills, taking him from someone worthy of the MVP conversation to a finalist and eventual winner at 24 years of age.

Many expect Antetokounmpo to take over as the best player in the NBA, and at his age, he has plenty of time to stake his claim as the new king of the Eastern Conference, having already done so a year after LeBron James' departure.