While his statistics didn’t stand out, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a successful rookie season by most accounts. He dazzled fans with his athleticism and showed flashes of brilliance that lends credence to the belief he might become superstar some day. This week, it was reported the 19-year-old Giannis continues to grow, adding more length to an already scary matchup on the defensive side of the ball. Yesterday, Giannis addressed questions about his future potential.
In an interview with Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, Giannis spoke about his expectations moving forward:
BI: You mentioned being great. When you talk to Bucks fans, they get really excited about your future and they think you can be one of the best players in the NBA. Is that a goal of yours? Do you feel like you can eventually be a superstar player?
Antetokounmpo: Yeah, for sure. That’s my goal. I’m a guy that doesn’t just talk. I just act and try to do it. I’m just working hard every day, challenging myself every day, so that I can be the best that I can be in my life.
At the end of the season, Giannis revealed his off-season plan to come back improved:
“I have to work on everything,” Antetokounmpo said. “My shot, my dribbling, my body. My coach says I need to work on my explosiveness and being in the right spot defensively.
“I’m going to continue working on my body for sure because I have to get a lot stronger. Coach said my progress was very nice, so I’m just going to try to get some more progress and get better, stronger and bigger.”
It’s a scary thought for the rest of the league, especially when raw talent alone allows Giannis to do things like this already:
The Greek Freak made the jump from playing in Greece’s second division to the NBA and held his own. Keep in mind Giannis won’t turn 20 until December, so he’s just getting started in terms of learning the nuances of the game. He still needs to get himself in good enough shape to handle the grind of the regular season — he visibly wore down at the end of his rookie year — while adding to his baseline offensive game.
Giannis is confident he can put it all together. As long as he puts in the work and continues to expand his game, there’s no reason why he won’t become the superstar many — including Giannis himself, expect him to be. Hopefully, it just takes some time.
What do you think?
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