Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks wore a shirt reading "I can't breathe," a reference to George Floyd's last words, to a Black Lives Matter protest
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks wore a shirt reading "I can't breathe," a reference to George Floyd's last words, to a Black Lives Matter protest GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Gregory Shamus

KEY POINTS

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo was named All-Star MVP in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game
  • Antetokounmpo scored 35 points on 16-for-16 from the field to steer Team LeBron to a 170-150 win over Team Durant
  • Antetokounmpo joined Michael Jordan and Kevin Garnett as the only players in NBA history to win NBA MVP, All-Star MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s legacy continues to grow.

The 26-year old Milwaukee Bucks star is already a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a former Most Improved Player, a former Defensive Player of the Year, and a five-time NBA All-Star.

In the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Antetokounmpo added another accolade by becoming the 2021 Kobe Bryant NBA All-Star Game MVP.

In just 19 minutes of action, “The Greek Freak” put up 35 points on an insane 16-for-16 from the field to help Team LeBron take a 170-150 win over Team Durant.

The All-Star MVP nod also put Antetokounmpo in some pretty good company as he became just the third player in NBA history to have won All-Star MVP, regular season MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year, joining Michael Jordan and Kevin Garnett.

It is quite the milestone for one of the league’s biggest and brightest young stars today.

Antetokounmpo was named MVP in 2019. In 2020, he was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.

Jordan, of course, is considered the greatest player to ever play basketball. He was a five-time regular season MVP, the 1987-1988 Defensive Player of the Year, and a 14-time NBA All-Star.

9. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is so good at so many things that some of his strengths have been overshadowed.One of them is his raw power.Early in his career, he used it to dunk on all kinds of players. For such a skinny guy, the power he dished out was incredible.In mid career, Jordan’s power as a dunker peaked and he physically dominated and dunked on guards who were simply too weak and small.It was only later in his career that he developed and came to rely on his patented turnaround jumper. Reuters

“His Airness” earned his first All-Star Game MVP nod in 1988 after finishing with 40 points and eight rebounds to lead the East to a 138-133 win over the West.

He would win the plum again eight years later in the 1996 All-Star Game, dropping 20 points to lead the East to a 129-118 win over the West.

Jordan’s final All-Star MVP performance came in the 1998 game, wherein he posted 23 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in the East’s 135-114 blowout win over the West.

Kevin Garnett DeAndre Jordan
Kevin Garnett (L) and DeAndre Jordan. Reuters

Garnett, meanwhile, is widely regarded as one of the best big men in NBA history. He was the 2002-2003 NBA regular season MVP, the 2007-2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a 15-time NBA All-Star.

In the 2003 All-Star Game, Garnett scored 37 points to go along with nine rebounds, earning him the All-Star MVP nod in the West’s 155-145 win over the East.

While all three stars have a common denominator, one important milestone separates Jordan and KG from Antetokounmpo--and that’s an NBA championship. Jordan is a six-time NBA Champion, while Garnett won the title in 2008.

At the rate that Giannis is playing now, it won’t be long before he gets himself a championship as well.

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