Giannis Antetokounmpo is entering his seventh season in the league, already with a Most Valuable Player award in his trophy collection, but there's one that is still sorely missing. The Milwaukee Bucks star told Greek website Contra that had he won a pivotal Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors, he would've been an NBA champion at a ripe 24 years old.
“I’m closing in on the seventh season in Milwaukee, how quickly the years go by… To reach where I am today, I have worked a lot and I continue to do so,” said Antetokounmpo. :It’s hard to lead a team because it’s not something you do just for five games, but for the entire season. You must always be ready to live up to the team’s expectations and your expectations. The team has helped me and my family from the beginning. It made us feel at home and I wish we stay together for many more years.”
The 6-foot-11, 220-pound Greek Freak put his aspirations on the line, noting how an MVP season could have had a very different ending:
Article Continues Below“My goal this year is to win the championship with the Bucks, which is something that requires a lot of work. It’s hard, I’m not going to lie to you. If we had won our third game with the Raptors last season, probably I would have been an NBA champion at 24. It is hard, but we learn from our mistakes and I wish we will not repeat them when we reach the same point. My goal every year is to win something, whether I’m playing for the Bucks or the national team.”
Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals was undoubtedly the low point of Antetokounmpo's postseason, scoring only 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting from the field and a dismal 2-of-7 from the foul line. The game would go to double overtime, allowing the Raptors to get a second wind and put themselves back in the series with a much-needed win at home.
The Raptors would take that momentum to win three straight games, flipping the series on its head and eliminating Antetokounmpo and the Bucks from playoff contention. Things could have been different for the Bucks star, but there will be no more looking back after this season starts, only time to look forward.