Giannis Antetokounmpo is quite popular around the world, after winning his first MVP last season. Probably he is on his way to win his second consecutive MVP award this season, but according to ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz he is not going to considered himself the face of the NBA until he wins an NBA title.
Some believe that the reigning MVP is next on the line to become the face of the league, but he is not showing the will to market himself the same way players like LeBron James and Chris Paul are doing it.
It may be that Antetokounmpo doesn’t feel he’s earned that spotlight yet, ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz said on the Lowe Post Podcast with Zach Lowe, as transcribed by Real GM.
‘Yeah, Giannis, it’s his nature to be private. He’s a little more Duncan-y in his approach to superstardom,” said Arnovitz.
“And they’re like ‘Yeah, that’s not really it.’
“And I said ‘What is it?’
“They’re like ‘He finds it unseemly to preen as the face of the league before you win a championship. Like it would be unconscionable for him to do that because it just is so not in his nature the idea that anybody would preen before they won a title.’
Antetokounmpo can sign a supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason and will be a free agent in 2021 if he doesn’t.
You can listen the whole discussion between Zach Lowe and Kevin Arnovitz here:
