Lakers News: Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Appreciative Of Kobe Bryant Pushing Him To Be Great
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers’ reign as champions of the NBA came to an end on Tuessday night with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks defeating the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to win the franchise’s first championship since 1971.

Antetokounmpo was outstanding in the clincher, putting up 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to cap off one of the most historic playoff runs of all time.

Winning a championship is something that Antetokounmpo worked hard to accomplish after originally coming onto the scene as a relatively unknown player out of Greece.

The former two-time MVP has suffered some heartbreaking defeats in the playoffs the last few years but now was finally able to get over the hump, establishing a growing legacy as one of the best to ever play the game.

One person who saw the potential in Antetokounmpo was Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who issued him a challenge to win MVP back in 2017. Then when he accomplished that, Bryant issued another challenge of winning a championship that is now fulfilled:

After winning his first career championship, Antetokounmpo spoke to how much Bryant’s encouragement meant to him.

“It means a lot. It started almost like a joke at first. It was a challenge to players, and I was like, let me just shoot my shot, kind of like, what’s my challenge, and he was like MVP. But at first I was, like, joking. I didn’t think he was going to respond to me,” Antetokounmpo said.

“But when he did, he made me believe. I’m like, Kobe Bryant thinks I can do this and I can play at a high level and build my team and win my MVP? I had to do it. I had to work hard. And to not necessarily let him down. I had to work hard because people believed that I can do it. That’s the thing. I’m a people pleaser. I don’t like letting people down. I don’t like — when I signed with the city of Milwaukee, that’s the main reason I signed because I didn’t want to let the people down and think that I didn’t work extremely hard for them, which I do. But to be able to accomplish those things, it’s crazy. It’s unreal. It’s freaking unreal. I can’t believe it.”

What makes Antetokounmpo so great is not only his physical gifts but also his mental capacity and work ethic, proving time and time again that he deserves all of the success that comes his way.

Bryant recognized that earlier than most and there’s no doubt that he would have been proud to see Antetokounmpo hoist that trophy out after one of the most dominant performances in recent memory.

Antwtokounmpo appreciative of James being at Game 5

Going back one game, current Lakers star LeBron James was in attendance for Game 5 in Phoenix, and that was also something Antetokounmpo appreciated from another player he grew up watching and idolizing.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

You May Also Like

Lakers Video: Anthony Davis Reveals He Hasn’t Touched A Basketball Since 2021-22 Season Ended

Anthony Davis is yet to return to his dominant self since the Los Angeles Lakers won the 2019-20 championship…

The 2011 NBA Championship Rests on the Shoulders of One Player, and It’s Not Who You Think

Suppose for a minute we are playing a round of Finals Jeopardy…and…

Lakers Rumors: Optimism Christian Wood Will Return Within Two Weeks

Heading into the 2023 offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers targeted reliable centers to back up Anthony Davis…

The NBA Reset: 3/30/2011

New York, New York Okay, so New York managed to fend off…