The best player in Milwaukee Bucks history is Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak has played his entire career with the team that drafted him, but his time in Milwaukee has come to a close, as the two-time MVP was just traded to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro and a package of draft picks. Antetokounmpo has been with the Bucks since 2013. He embarked on an iconic career and was responsible for countless legendary moments during his time revolutionizing the game of basketball with the team, but what are Antetokounmpo's 10 greatest moments as a member of the Bucks?
10. Alley-oop over Tim Hardaway Jr.
Antetokounmpo is a freak of nature athletically. Most human beings can't dunk a basketball, and even fewer can jump over fellow humans. Combining the two, in live action of an NBA game, against a fellow NBA player, is even crazier. On Feb. 6, 2018, Antetokounmpo did just that. He went up for a lob, caught the ball in midair while clearing the 6-foot-5 Tim Hardaway Jr., and was still able to finish the thunderous dunk. To top it all off, the Greek Freak only needed one hand for his highlight play.
9. Most Improved Player of the Year award
The Bucks drafted Antetokounmpo as a young, raw, little-known prospect from Greece. He averaged just 6.8 points per game as a rookie, and nobody thought he'd ever become the player he has become. There were signs of stardom early on in his career, though, and Antetokounmpo's true breakout came in his fourth season. By that time, he was averaging 22.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, good enough to win the Most Improved Player award and prove he was here to stay. Jabari Parker tore his ACL this season, and Antetokounmpo was thrust into the role of Milwaukee's franchise player. He didn't disappoint.
8. Game-winner over Knicks
The superstar from Greece has always been more known for his physical prowess than his fundamentals, skill, and jump shot. Because of that, he hasn't always received enough respect for his clutch gene. He showed just what he can do late in ball games and with his jumper when he hit a game-winner at the buzzer against the New York Knicks on Jan. 4, 2017. Antetokounmpo backed his defender down before turning around from 15 feet out to hit the shot to go up one point.
7. Ranked on NBA 75th Anniversary Team
Most lists ranking the best players in NBA history are oversaturated with legends of old, and it is often hard for the best modern players to prove themselves as all-time greats while still active in the league. Antetokounmpo has already been immortalized as one of the greatest players ever, as he was included on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. With career averages of 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, that accolade is warranted.
6. Becoming the face of the 2013 NBA Draft
The 2013 NBA Draft has long been considered one of the worst draft classes in history. Anthony Bennett was the first overall pick, and he has a case as the biggest draft bust in league history. He scored fewer career points than any other number one selection. Fellow draft busts Alex Len, Ben McLemore, and Shabazz Muhammad were also picked in the lottery.
Antetokounmpo fell outside of the top 14. Milwaukee scooped up the scrawny and raw prospect at pick 15. His body and skill set would develop in big ways over the years to come, and now the Greek Freak is far and away the best player from his draft class. Antetokounmpo had a shy personality and what appeared to be a naiveness of what was to come when he was drafted, but he put in the work to become one of the best players in NBA history.
5. Defensive Player of the Year award
In the modern era of basketball, offense has often been prioritized by superstars, especially the best players from Europe. Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are unstoppable on offense, but it is Antetokounmpo who has remained everyone that basketball is a two-way sport. At 7-feet tall, Antetokounmpo can effectively guard down low. He swats shots at the rim, but he also has rare speed and athletic traits for someone of his size, which allows him to excel defensively on the perimeter, too. The defensive prowess resulted in a Defensive Player of the Year award in 2020. Antetokounmpo's versatility on the less glamorous end is why he is one of the best defensive players of all time.
4. Antetokounnpo wins his first MVP
For being a small market team, the Bucks have had some top-tier talent throughout their history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won three of his six MVPs with the Bucks. More recently, number 34 was named the best player in the league twice in his own right. The first of his two MVP nods came in 2018-19, when Antetokounmpo was just 24 years old. He averaged 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds to establish himself as the future face of the league.
3. Franchise record for points in a game
It is memorable anytime a player scores more than 50 points in a game. Antetokounmpo far surpassed that threshold, though, as he scored 64 points on Dec. 13, 2023. That total is the most points ever scored in a Bucks game and really illustrates just how dominant the two-time MVP was in Milwaukee.
2. Back-to-back MVP
The sequel was even better than the original. Number 34 improved his numbers to 29.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game when he won the MVP for the second straight season. He also took home Defensive Player of the Year honor this season. Antetokounmpo was the 12th of 14 players to win back-to-back MVPs.
1. Game 6 of the NBA Finals
The 2021 NBA Finals went down as one of the most iconic championship series in NBA history. The Bucks started that series down 0-2 before mounting a reverse sweep and winning in six games. Antetokounmpo was ultimately awarded Finals MVP honors, but not until after arguably the best closeout game in championship history. En route to winning the Bill Russell award, Antetokounmpo had 50 points, the most in a closeout NBA Finals victory ever. All in all, the Finals MVP averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game for the series.
