{"id":598880,"date":"2021-07-21T12:21:27","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T16:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=598880"},"modified":"2021-07-21T12:21:30","modified_gmt":"2021-07-21T16:21:30","slug":"i-couldnt-leave-giannis-antetokounmpo-chose-to-stay-hands-milwaukee-first-nba-championship-since-1971","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/i-couldnt-leave-giannis-antetokounmpo-chose-to-stay-hands-milwaukee-first-nba-championship-since-1971\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I Couldn\u2019t Leave\u2019: Giannis Antetokounmpo Chose To Stay, Hands Milwaukee First NBA Championship Since 1971"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fi-couldnt-leave-giannis-antetokounmpo-chose-to-stay-hands-milwaukee-first-nba-championship-since-1971%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=598880&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/GettyImages-1329807756.jpg?w=1200&amp;h=800&amp;ixlib=react-9.0.3\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>\u2019The \u201cothers\u201d can only get you so far. When push comes to shove, it\u2019s the superstars that are responsible for putting their team over the top. On Tuesday night at Fiserv Forum, it was the \u201cGreek Freak\u201d that put his teammates and the entire city of Milwaukee on his back, allowing the \u201cCream City\u201d to taste an NBA championship for the first time in a half-century.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns 105-98 to win the 2021 NBA Finals, the organization\u2019s first championship since 1971.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>With an opportunity to win his first ring, Giannis Antetokounmpo put on an all-time show Tuesday night, putting up a ridiculous 50 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks stat line, while shooting 17 of 19 from the free throw line.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For all those who have grown weary of the \u201cplayer empowerment\u201d movement, of All-Star players teaming up to form \u201csuper teams,\u201d this is the result for you.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Unlike many superstars in recent years,&nbsp;<\/span><span>Antetokounmpo chose the road less traveled, deciding to stick with the team that drafted him after signing a supermax extension in the offseason. It was a choice that went against the grain in today\u2019s NBA, and it was a choice that paid off in a big way.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI couldn\u2019t leave. There was a job that had to be finished,\u201d Antetokounmpo <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportingnews.com\/us\/nba\/news\/giannis-antetokounmpo-super-teams-bucks-nba-finals\/mm6kn84glomr13f52er7ktkha\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span>. \u201cI feel like the bubble did not pay us justice. Give credit to the Miami Heat. They played great, but it did not pay us justice. Everybody was feeling homesick. We are a family-oriented team, wanted to see our families. But coming back, I was like, \u2018This is my city. They trust me. They believe in me. They believe in us.&#8217;\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easy to go somewhere and go win a championship with somebody else. It\u2019s easy. I could go to a super team and just do my part and win a championship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span>It certainly wasn\u2019t the easy path for Antetokounmpo. Milwaukee was bounced from the playoffs early the past two seasons. They blew a 2-0 lead to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals and laid an absolute egg against the Miami Heat in last year\u2019s Orlando Bubble. Heading into the 2021 season, many had written them off as nothing more than a great regular season team. With the Brooklyn Nets adding James Harden, it looked inevitable that the Bucks would once again disappoint.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>They mortgaged their future by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/news\/pelicans-acquire-steven-adams-eric-bledsoe-in-4-team-trade-jrue-holiday-to-milwaukee\">acquiring<\/a> Jrue Holiday \u2014 giving up Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, two first-round draft picks, and two pick swaps in the process. They went down 2-0 to the star-ladened Brooklyn Nets and nervously watched as their superstar had to be helped off the court against the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals after hyperextending his knee.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But <\/span><span>all champions have scars born of adversity, and no one has more scars than Antetokounmpo.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>From playing in the Greek second division to reaching the pinnacle of the NBA, the journey for Antetokounmpo has been nothing short of miraculous.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt\u2019s been a long journey,\u201d he <a href=\"https:\/\/asaptext.com\/orgs\/nbafinals\/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts\/110479.html\">said<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve done it all, man. I did anything that I could just to be on the court, just to be in this position. I\u2019ve not played. I\u2019ve come off the bench. When I was 18, I started on the team. I went to the front office and told them to send me to the G League. I\u2019ve played point guard. I\u2019ve only defended. Slashed from the corners and everything. In my fourth year, I was able to lead as a ball handler.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019ve done it all. Tonight, that\u2019s what I had to do. I had to do a little bit of everything. I had to defend, I had to rebound, I had to block. Did a little bit of everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It was a journey that was almost stopped dead in its tracks just three weeks ago.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>During game four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks, <\/span><span>Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly on his left leg as he contested an alley-oop, causing his knee to buckle grotesquely. To the fans watching at home, Antetokounmpo\u2019s season appeared to be over, with months of rehab ahead of him.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>But it turned out to be simply another roadblock for Giannis and the Bucks to hurdle over.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After missing the remaining games of the Conference Finals, Antetokounmpo somehow returned for the NBA Finals at nearly full-strength. He had a lot of help along the way, but his averages of an absurd <\/span><span>35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in the series stand out. &nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"10.058091286307\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Giannis Antetokounmpo is the 1st player in NBA Finals history to average 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists on at least 60% shooting. <\/p>\n<p>35.2 PPG<br \/>13.2 RPG <br \/>5.0 APG<br \/>61.8 FG% <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PTBDmDl3Es\">pic.twitter.com\/PTBDmDl3Es<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA.com\/Stats (@nbastats) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nbastats\/status\/1417712438741450755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>As the horn sounded at the end of the fourth, Antetokounmpo could barely control his emotions. He walked over to the baseline, taking a few moments to soak in what he had just accomplished and the difficult journey it took for him to get there.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cDon\u2019t let nobody tell you what you can be and what you cannot do. Don\u2019t let nobody tell you what you can be and what you cannot do. People told me I cannot make free throws. I made my free throws tonight and I\u2019m a freaking champion\u2026 Just believe, man,\u201d <\/span><span>Antetokounmpo <a href=\"https:\/\/asaptext.com\/orgs\/nbafinals\/browse_file.php?browse_file_name=transcripts\/110479.html\">said<\/a>. <\/span><span>\u201cI hope I give people around the world, from Africa, from Europe, hope that it can be done. It can be done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cEight years ago, eight and a half years ago, when I came to the league, I didn\u2019t know where my next meal will come from. My mom was selling stuff in the street. Now I\u2019m here sitting at the top of the top. I\u2019m extremely blessed. I\u2019m extremely blessed. If I never have a chance to sit on this table ever again, I\u2019m fine with it. I\u2019m fine with it. I hope this can give everybody around the world hope. I want them to believe in their dreams.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Bucks are a throw-back to the NBA teams we so fondly remember. The Detroit Pistons of the \u201980s went through years of heartbreak before finally breaking through in 1989. Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls lost in excruciating fashion to the very same Pistons before vanquishing their rivals in 1991. And now the Bucks have finally plowed through their own wall.<\/p>\n<p>The Bucks have reached the top of the mountain, and their two-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and now NBA Finals MVP, is the reason why. <span>Antetokounmpo<\/span> refused to take the easy way out. He chose to stay, and the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy is his reward.<\/p>\n<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The views expressed in this piece are the author\u2019s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\"><i>member<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2019The \u201cothers\u201d can only get you so far. When push comes to shove, it\u2019s the superstars that are responsible for putting their team over the top. On Tuesday night at &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-598880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598880"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598880\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}