Giannis Antetokounmpo has just wrapped up a historic season. He led the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA and the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Giannis would be a slam dunk for MVP in past years but not this year. A lot of noise is being made for Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid to win his first and it seems a lot of voters are leaning that way. In a recent interview about the MVP, Giannis threw some subtle shade at Embiid.
“…I believe the last five years I've been the MVP. Do I want a third MVP? Hell f–king yeah I want a third one. I am extremely competitive. I try to make my team successful. That's what I get paid for. That's what I'm here for. I'm never going to be one who discredits anybody… pic.twitter.com/FxJjpEq5Xa
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 9, 2023
Giannis Antetokounmpo Throws Sublte Shade At Joel Embiid
Giannis was asked about whether he wanted to win another MVP and he did not hold back in his interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
“…I believe the last five years I’ve been the MVP. Do I want a third MVP? Hell f–king yeah I want a third one. I am extremely competitive. I try to make my team successful. That’s what I get paid for. That’s what I’m here for. I’m never going to be one who discredits anybody else’s work. That’s not who I am as a person. And I will never beg for an MVP award that I believe I deserve. I’m very proud that I’m able to play at an MVP level because that means I’m making my team very successful. That’s the goal.”
The key line in there is this one. “And I will never beg for an MVP award that I believe I deserve”. This is a shot directly at Embiid. Last season, Embiid whined about not getting the MVP over Nikola Jokic and this year has been campaigning hard to win the award. Giannis is simply going about his business and makes it clear he cares more about team success.
Love Wisconsin Sports? Listen to 97.3 The Fan on iHeart Radio
Will Any Bucks Win Regular Season Awards?
The odds say no which is absolutely insane. Brook Lopez is in the running for Defensive Player of the Year but will likely be beaten out. Bobby Portis is in the mix for the Sixth Man of the Year but I think missed too many games to win the award. Head coach Mike Budenholzer will likely get beaten out for Coach of the Year however this one I’m less mad about. Mike Brown led the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff appearance in 16 years. He deserves that one. Still, the fact that the Bucks may be shut out of all major regular-season awards is a crime.
I love the subtle shot that Giannis Antetokounmpo takes at Joel Embiid. While it is disappointing when our favorite players do not win awards I look at it this way. It shows how good the team is. The team is full of talent and primed for a championship. This also would give the team a chip on their shoulder, something a one seed does not often get. The Bucks kick off their championship run in a week against the 8th-seed winner in the play-in tournament.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @sorcerermatt, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here!
