For Giannis, the game is what matters
The Bucks’ global star prefers to show his skills on the basketball court
MILWAUKEE— Giannis Antetokounmpo could probably drive your SUV from the back seat. He might be able to simultaneously open your fridge and microwave. He can definitely touch the rim without leaving his feet.
The “Greek Freak” has a wingspan of seven feet, three inches.
And yet those in his corner want to expand his reach.
“We want to be the world’s team,” Bucks president Peter Feigin said, “led by the world’s player.”
The basketball world will descend upon Chicago for NBA All-Star Weekend. There will be parties, promotional events, hospital visits, media sessions, a skills challenge, a slam dunk contest, a three-point shooting extravaganza and even an actual All-Star Game. Antetokounmpo could do without all of it … except for the game.
He is so serious about basketball — even a defence-optional exhibition that doesn’t count in the standings — he debated conducting his pre-game routine in Milwaukee before a drive down I-94 to the United Center.
“We had serious discussions,” agent Alex Saratsis said.
Antetokounmpo only relented once Saratsis, a Northwestern alumnus and Lincoln Park resident, promised he’d secure a quality gym in Chicago for Antetokounmpo’s Sunday afternoon sweat.
“And then he will go and play hard,” Saratsis said, “to the point where teammates have told him: Chill out.”
Antetokounmpo is so serious about basketball, he didn’t sound entirely thrilled about having received the most fan votes (more than 5.9 million) among Eastern Conference players. That tally made him team captain for the second straight year, requiring him to draft players.
“If I’m the captain, I’m the captain,” he said. “But by being the captain, you have more things to do and it takes away from the game. I don’t like things that take away from the game.”
And therein lies the conundrum for those pushing Antetokounmpo to overtake LeBron James as the sport’s most famous player: What if he doesn’t want to be the face of the NBA? Or he’s simply ambivalent?
“In five years he might say: I make ‘X’ amount from the Bucks, I make ‘Y’ amount from Nike; I’m good,” Saratsis said. “How much money does anyone need in a lifetime? For him it’s not about being a power broker. He doesn’t want a production company. He cares about family, people close to him and basketball.”
The Bucks have lost only once since Jan. 8. They held off the Celtics on a 40-point night from Kemba Walker. They beat the Bulls as Antetokounmpo scored his10,000th career point and enjoyed his 18th career triple double (28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists). They beat the Hornets in Paris.
Seven days later they were back home at Fiserv Forum, the glistening House That Giannis Built, for a special occasion: Greek Night.
The Bucks distributed a bobblehead of Giannis and teammate Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother Giannis hugged moments after the Bucks made him the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Thanasis wears 43 to mirror Giannis’ 34 jersey. Coach Mike Budenholzer gave Thanasis his only start of the season, and he scored 62 seconds after the opening tip on a breakaway slam. He laid one in off a Giannis feed to give Milwaukee a 13-4 lead. The Bucks’ bench and sellout crowd went nuts.
But long story short, the Nuggets shot 22 of 46 (47.8 per cent) on three-pointers and stunned the Bucks 127-115. It made for a quiet scene in the Bucks locker room, a Friday night that felt more like a Monday morning. Peppering Antetokounmpo with nonbasketball questions seemed even sillier than usual.
Asked how he has adjusted to the spotlight, the NBA’s reigning MVP replied: “To be honest I try not to think about it. I know my name might be out there, but I’ve never cared about that and don’t now.” Though Antetokounmpo doesn’t seek fame, it finds him. He has the NBA’s second most popular jersey after James and ahead of Stephen Curry. He has more than 7.2 million Instagram followers, which ranks 11th in the NBA and first among international players.