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Giannis Antetokounmpo is already promised a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will likely be considered one of the 30 greatest players in NBA history and is swimming in cash. The only question surrounding the one-of-a-kind Milwaukee Bucks superstar is how big his imprint on the sport will wind up being when he retires.
That is what fuels him forward, particularly as he gears up for the NBA Cup championship game. Milwaukee (14-11) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5) will be competing for a purse worth more than $500,000 thousand per player in Las Vegas, Nevada's T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night. Antetokounmpo knows what that amount of money can do for the younger guys and role players on the team who are not earning eye-popping dollar figures, and he is determined to help enrich their lives.
Personally, however, the 2021 NBA Finals MVP and two-time regular season MVP is using legacy as his primary source of motivational fuel.
“There's got to be something within you that wakes you up every single day to go and put your body through the stress we put our bodies through, which for me is just creating more art,” Antetokounmpo told the media on Monday, per ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel. “Creating more moments that I can remember, creating more legacy. For myself, and for something my kids can look back to and say ‘damn, my dad was a bad mf'er when he used to play.'”
Giannis:
“I want to leave a legacy… I want my kids to look back and say ‘That guy was a bad mf’er.” https://t.co/uutMM25QbM
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) December 16, 2024
Giannis and the Bucks look to make a statement at NBA Cup Final
Antetokounmpo celebrated his 30th birthday earlier in December, which is a big age for near-seven-foot athletes. It is only natural that he reflects on what he has accomplished and the sizable opportunities that lie ahead. An in-season tournament crown will not compare to the bliss the Greek Freak and other members of the Bucks experienced when they captured the Larry O'Brien Trophy a few years ago, but winning the NBA Cup means plenty to the 2024-25 version of this franchise.
Milwaukee has not returned to the Eastern Conference Finals since winning the title. Mike Budenholzer and Adrian Griffin were both controversially dismissed from their respective head coaching posts. Antetokounmpo was criticized for his “no failure in sports” comments after the team was eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. And the acquisition of Damian Lillard failed to produce the fruitful results the organization had envisioned last season.
A 2-8 start to this campaign added onto the Bucks' list of shortcomings. Everything started to click immediately after, though. Doc Rivers' group has won 12 of its last 15 games and presently inhabits the sixth slot in the East standings. Through his magnificent efforts– 32.7 points (league-best), 11.5 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.6 blocks and a career-high 61.4 field goal percentage in 23 games– Giannis Antetokounmpo is launching Milwaukee back into the championship conversation.
There is still a steep hill to climb, which comes largely in the form of the Boston Celtics, but the Bucks are undeniably moving in an upward direction. They can make further headway by conquering the loaded Thunder in the “Entertainment Capital of the World.” This could be a pivotal stepping stone to what Antetokounmpo hopes is a legacy-enhancing season.
