Another good article on Giannis:
https://theathletic.com/1323507/To see Antetokounmpo waving that white towel on the bench during the Bucks’ closing minutes was to be reminded that he is special in both body and mind. There was genuine joy on his face as the Bucks held the Rockets off, and a message throughout that his exit was no excuse for his teammates to sag their shoulders. Beyond his absurd physique and all the other surreal attributes that come with him and his game, it’s this team-first mentality that makes him the total package.
“That’s a nice feeling (to beat a team with two former MVPs), but I’m not going to lie to you: I did my part, but my teammates got the win,” Antetokounmpo said. “By myself, I couldn’t go against those guys. If I didn’t have my teammates – and this is not just to say because (he points at my voice recorder) you will write that Giannis talked about his teammates – but without those guys, without G-Hill (George Hill), (Eric) Bledsoe, Khris, Brook, Robin (Lopez), everybody, the whole team – Ersan – I wouldn’t’ be able to go against those two guys because they’re so freaking good.
“(The finish) was amazing. When they were shooting, I felt like I was making them. I wanted to win so bad. Obviously I wanted to be on the court, but my teammates getting the job done, getting us the win, that’s a fulfilling feeling.”
Yet to watch Giannis go through his pregame routine nearly five hours before he was relegated to cheerleader duty was to understand why it’s so vital for the Bucks’ future that he stays on their floor. It’s not as if he’s the only player who works up a serious sweat before every game, but there’s a relentlessness to his regimen that is so often seen in the greats. By the time this half-hour session is over – 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 – there’s a leaky faucet dripping off his chin and his white Nike workout top looks like a sopping wet gym towel.
The midrange shots come first. The 3s are being hoisted about 15 minutes in, with Giannis – who would hit two of five attempts from beyond the arc against the Rockets – attempting the catch-and-shoot variety all over the floor for nearly 10 minutes before he moves to the free throw line. The rim finishes are up next – touch shots from two or three feet away. More free throws. More 3s, perhaps with Korver’s frequent advice being put into practice. More sweat.
Handshakes for the coaches and ball boys/girls before he heads to the locker room. A scout who is sitting courtside, and who agrees that this is not the norm for stars or any other player, remembers an old quote that has made the rounds around the league.
“**** don’t get better,” the scout says with a laugh.
If Antetokounmpo is anything, he’s not that.
“I mean, everything that’s been said about him is just 100 percent true,” said Korver, who chose the Bucks over Philadelphia in free agency and who was drawn, in part, by the chance to help Antetokounmpo with his shooting ability. “He’s a hard worker. He’s a humble guy. He loves the game. He really wants to win. He wants to play the right way. He’s very coachable. He just has these freakish abilities and length and athleticism. So you combine all that together, and it’s really exciting just to be around him and to watch him work.”
“I did not get invited,” Antetokounmpo said of Bryant’s camp. “It didn’t surprise me. I’ve connected with Kobe in the past; we text now and then. I think when that was going on, I was on the national team, so I don’t know if I was able to go there. But I don’t know if I would go there if he invited me, because there’s a lot of (other stars). You know, Kyrie (Irving) is a guy who plays for Brooklyn, and (a team) we’re going to play against. Kawhi Leonard (now with the Clippers) was there. A lot of guys was there. AD (the Lakers’ Anthony Davis) was there.
“Man, it’s not that I don’t want to (learn from other stars). I get better every day. I’ll learn from the 15th player on our team. I’ll learn from (Bucks reserve guard) Frank Mason. But my competitive nature is so high that when I go and practice (with other stars), I can’t do it. That’s me. I’m not saying it’s right, but that’s me. I just know myself. I know that because I’m a nice person, I’m going to start building relationships (with those other stars). And then I’m going to go against those guys, and they’re going to be my friends.”
So, I asked him, you don’t want to take the competitive edge away?
“No, I don’t,” he said. “I want to play for 20 years and just play, and then make friendships at the end.”
More at the link.
