Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo got a break from captain duties in last Sunday's All-Star festivities, but he still ended up being the center of attention as he won the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player award. Antetokounmpo was ecstatic in his interview with ESPN.
“Obviously, I'm extremely happy at just having the award with the name of Kobe Bryant in my house,” Giannis stated. “It's a great feeling. I wanted to win the one last year really bad, and I had a chance to win because I felt like I wanted to have the trophy in my house. But this year, I wasn't even thinking about winning it; I was just thinking about having fun, and I had the opportunity to play well.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly had fun as he went a perfect 16 of 16 from the field, despite shooting some jump shots. When asked about this, he had a clever answer.
Article Continues Below“You know, usually it is closed [on Sundays],” Antetokounmpo cheerfully remarked, “but for me, it was open extended hours.”
On paper, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Team LeBron had the better team and it showed in the actual game as they strolled to a 170-150 win over Team Durant.
“My team played great, and I was able to just win it. And to have the trophy with the name of Kobe Bryant, it's amazing, and I know he would be happy,” Giannis added. “Yeah, I know he'd be happy.”
In less than 20 minutes of playing time, Giannis Antetokounmpo showed his Mamba Mentality as he erupted for 35 points.