Giannis Antetokounmpo drew the attention of NBA luminaries, NFL stars, and fans throughout the country Tuesday night as he led the Bucks to their first NBA title since 1971, defeating the Suns 105-98.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, he became the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2001 to score 40 points, ten rebounds, and five blocks in a playoff game.
The forward finished with 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks on the night.
He’s also the seventh player in Finals history to score 50 points.
“Greek Freak is HOOPING!!!!!!!,” LeBron James said. Antetokounmpo scored 20 points in a quarter twice in the series, and the last player to do it in a Finals quarter was Michael Jordan in 1993.
Antetokounmpo skipped to the sidelines, raising his arms in the air, as green and blue streamers dropped around Fiserv Forum.
He became filled with emotion as he placed the “Champions” cap on his head, kneeling down to the floor before sitting in a chair and witnessing the chaos around him.
“I’m a fucking champion! Nobody can say shite to me!” Antetokounmpo stated later on Instagram Live alongside his brother, Thanasis.
“I’ll never leave the squad and the city of Milwaukee until we build the team to a championship quality team,” he tweeted on July 16, 2014. On June 24, 2019, Kobe Bryant tweeted to Antetokounmpo, “My man…
The championship is coming next.
#MambaMentality” Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-born NBA champion and Finals MVP, is a young man from Athens.
Here’s how Antetokounmpo’s historic performance was received on Twitter.
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