Giannis’ plans
The Bucks star, back at work, wants to grow as an all-around player and leader.
The morning after the Milwaukee Bucks’ season ended with a Game 7 loss in Boston, Bucks all-star Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t know what to do. For the first time in more than seven months, he didn’t have anything pressing on his schedule.
“I felt lost,” Antetokounmpo said Sunday during his exit interview with the media at the team’s downtown Sports Science Center. “It’s hard when the season ends and you’re not waking up no more for practices, games. You’re not in your routine no more.”
Being out of routine didn’t last long. By Monday morning, Antetokounmpo was already back at the Sports Science Center for an early workout.
Following a tumultuous season that fell short of expectations, the Bucks star knows that he and the team need to make the most out of this summer. The 23-year-old Antetokounmpo has made noticeable strides every year to the point that he’s likely going to finish top-5 in NBA MVP voting after putting
up 26.9 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Everything he does this summer will come with the extra motivation of his team falling short in Game 7 against the Celtics.
“All I’m going to remember is Game 7,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about what stood out to him from this season. “It’s been 17 years since the Bucks went to the second round. We wanted it bad. It was a year that our coach got fired, players got traded. It was adversity all around, ups and downs.”
While he’s already getting back to work, Antetokounmpo knows he can’t push himself in the same way he did last summer. He overdid it, working with his brother, Kostas, at the University of Dayton just two days after Milwaukee’s season ended. Within two weeks, he was working with assistant coach Sean Sweeney in Spain.
Later in the summer, Antetokounmpo had responsibilities with the Greek national team. However, he had to pull out before the European championships because of right knee soreness that he and the Bucks had to continue to manage during the season.
“This summer, I don’t have a lot of responsibility with the national team, so I have a little bit more time to rest and work,” Antetokounmpo said, mentioning that his knee has been great recently. “I’ve got to make sure for next year there’s no issues with my knees, ankles, taking care of my body well. Of course I’m going to spend a lot of time on the court working on what I’ve got to work on.”
When it comes to getting that work in, Antetokounmpo still hopes he’ll be able to spend some time with former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. It’s something Antetokounmpo has been talking about since February.
“Hopefully, get in touch with Kobe and get a few days just to work on my footwork, my mentality,” he said. “What he thinks I could do better. Watch some clips with him, some plays with him. That would be great. If I have the opportunity to do that, that’d be a really great thing I think would help me get to the next level.”
Regardless of if he meets with Bryant or not, Antetokounmpo knows he needs to continue his growth and improvement. While the main knock against him for years has been his jump shot —
“This summer, I don’t have a lot of responsibility with the national team, so I have a little bit more time to rest and work . ... Of course I’m going to spend a lot of time on the court working on what I’ve got to work on.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Discussing his summer agenda
or lack of one — Antetokounmpo isn’t as worried about that specific aspect of his game.
Rather, he wants to be a better leader. He wants to learn how to take control of a game in the first quarter, fourth, or whenever he needs to. He knows he has the requisite talent and work ethic and now wants to refine his game further in subtle ways that lead to more wins.
“We’ve been arguing about my jump shot since my rookie year,” Antetokounmpo said. “I still helped my team get to the playoffs, I still put up the stats I put up with no jump shot. What do you guys think? I feel like I got a jump shot.
“Do I shoot it every time? No, I don’t. Because I know that’s not what my team wants me to do every time. I’m not going to come down and shoot 45 shots. That’s not what my team wants from me. I’m going to do whatever it takes for me and my team to be successful.
“That could be a pass. Look at LeBron James. When he needs to score the ball, he puts up 45 (points), 40, 35. Take over the game. Sometimes he needs to make his teammates wear the same suits.
“That’s leadership off the court. Sometimes he needs to pass the ball. I want to be an all-around basketball player . ... That’s what brought me here. That’s what I’m going to keep doing.”
Building his all-around game is the focus of Antetokounmpo’s summer because he wants to put himself and the Bucks in the best opportunity to win — or better yet, avoid — a Game 7 situation next year. Every aspect of this summer is geared toward adding more wins and more games to next season.
“I just think that we are really talented,” Antetokounmpo said. “We could do better as a team because we have Khris (Middleon), (Eric) Bledsoe, me, Malcolm (Brogdon), Delly, Thon; we got talented players on the team. Hopefully next year we can utilize our talent better.”