In response to the showering M-V-P chants of the Milwaukee Bucks fans for Giannis Antetokounmpo, coach Mike Budenholzer firmly believes that the Greek superstar is true and should be the winner of this season’s ultimate individual award.
Antetokounmpo stuffed the stat sheet with his 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting, 14 rebounds, six assists, three blocks, and a steal to dominate in the Bucks’ 117-104 Sunday win over fellow MVP candidate Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers.
“We certainly feel like Giannis is the MVP,” Budenholzer said, per Jamal Collier of ESPN. “Best player, best record, what he does on both ends of the court, the rebounding, the blocked shots, the defense, guarding on the perimeter. He does everything: play-makes, attacks, gets to the free throw line. We feel like he’s in the conversation and he should be the guy.”
While he is thankful for the praises and high regard he is receiving consistently for the past few years, the All-Star big man is focused on carrying Milwaukee back to the basketball mountaintop.
“It’s a great compliment,” Antetokounmpo said about the MVP claims. “I was happy when I won my first two. I’m happy that the last five years, I’m able to be in the conversation. I’m happy that I’m able to be consistent. I’m happy I’m able to help my team be great, but that’s the goal. That’s the only goal. Keep putting myself in position to help my team be great.”
Giannis has always been in the race ever since he bagged two MVP plums in both 2019 and 2020. But this season, he has been chasing widely believed frontrunners in Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
Antetokounmpo powered the Bucks for a needed bounce-back win to respond to the crushing 140-99 Thursday defeat against title-rival Boston Celtics. His outlasting of the top-three East team 76ers only contributed to his case for the MVP, as he is averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 boards and 5.6 assists as the league-leading team’s main man.
