The Bucks, the best regular season team in the NBA, were eliminated in five games by the Heat. Game 5 went to the wire as Milwaukee fell in overtime (126-128).
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks to a championship in 2021, scored team-high 38 points (14/27 field goals, 10/23 free-throws) but it wasn’t enough.
After the game the superstar had a heated conversation with a reporter who asked him if this season is a failure.
“Oh my God… you asked me the same question last year Eric,” Antetokounmpo began his rant. “Do you get promotion every year on your job? No, right? So every year you work is a failure. Yes or no? No. Every year you work towards something.
“Towards a goal which is to get a promotion, to be able to take care of your family, to be able, I don’t know, provide the house for them or take care of your parents. You work towards a goal. It’s not a failure, it’s steps to success… I don’t want to make it personal.
“There’s always steps to it. Michael Jordan played 15 years, won 6 championships. The other 9 years was a failure? That’s what you’re telling me. I’m asking you a question. Yes or no? Okay, exactly. So why are you asking me a question? It’s a wrong question.
“There’s no failure in sports. There’s good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn and that’s what sport is about. You don’t always win. Some other people are going to win. And this year somebody else is going to win. Simple as that.
“We’re going to come back next year try to be better, try to build good habits, try to play better, not have a 10-day stretch with playing bad basketball and hopefully we can win a championship.
“So 50 years from 1971 to 2921 that we didn’t win a championship it was 50 years of failures? No, it was not. It was steps to it and we were able to win one. Hopefully we can win another one.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to make it personal. Because you asked me the same question last year and last year I was in the right mind space to answer the question back, but I remember it.”
Later the Greek Freak was blunt saying that this was the worst postseason for him personally.
“We have a number in there like every other team has a number that says 16, 15, 14 and were stuck at 15,” Giannis said referring to the number of playoff wins needed to win a title. “I don’t think we’ve ever – as long as I’ve been in the playoffs – been stuck, maybe we lost in the first round, but not stuck at 15. Which is kind of hard to deal with.
“But at the end of the day, I feel like they were playing to beat us and we were playing to win a championship which I don’t understand… I think we were just a little bit ahead of ourselves to be honest with you.”
