Opinion: Giannis Has Entered G.O.A.T. Territory, But His Legacy Is Greater

By: Phil Constantino

There is one word to describe Giannis Antetokounmpo: refreshing.

At the age of 26 Giannis’s career accolades stack up with the greatest of all-time. He’s made five all-star teams, earned five All-NBA selections, won two MVP Awards, earned a Defensive Player of Year nod, and as of Tuesday night has claimed an NBA Championship and Finals MVP Award. At the age of 26, Giannis has more NBA titles and Finals MVPs than Michael Jordan and LeBron James. His other accolades are comparable.

Giannis’s 50-point, 14-rebound, five-block Game Six performance marks the greatest individual effort in a closeout game in NBA Finals history. His stat line was better than any closeout effort by Jordan, James, or any other NBA legend including Shaquille O’Neal and Magic Johnson.

As the Finals prolonged, Giannis improved with each game. His emphatic block in Game Four and highlight reel alley-oop in Game Five are plays that will forever go down in NBA lore.

Down 2-0 in the series, Giannis led the Bucks to one of the most memorable comebacks in NBA Finals history. He accomplished it all while recovering from a hyperextended knee.

It’s not too early to enter Giannis into the proverbial G.O.A.T debate. It is more than deserved. But Giannis’s legacy is about so much more than greatness.

In an era of increasing free agent movement, Giannis rejected the small market exodus, reaffirmed his commitment to Milwaukee and re-signed in December of 2020. As Hall of Fame broadcaster Mike Breen outlined in the final moments of the clinching game, Giannis fulfilled his dream of rewarding Milwaukee with a championship, the city that welcomed and adored him unconditionally from day one while withstanding a 50-year title drought.

“This is my city. They trust me. They believe in me,” Giannis said in his postgame news conference on Tuesday night.

Giannis proved that, even in the modern NBA, loyalty to a small market team, the team that drafted and took a chance on a little-known lanky kid from Greece, is not something to scoff at, but instead something to respect.

In the age of super-team dominance and championship chasing, Giannis did not give in to external pressures like many of his peers.

“It’s easy to go somewhere and go and win a championship with somebody else,” Giannis added postgame. “I could go to a super-team and, you know, just do my part and win a championship, and still won. But this is the hard way to do it and this is the way I chose to do it. And we did it!”

LeBron James left for Miami, orchestrated another super-team in his return to Cleveland, and then again in Los Angeles. Kevin Durant bolted from quaint Oklahoma City, hitched his wagon to the Golden State juggernaut, and is attempting to engineer another championship with a super-team in Brooklyn.

Giannis stuck with Milwaukee despite the Bucks struggling through an 89-157 record in his first three seasons and consistent postseason shortcomings after the organization’s resurrection. Giannis proved that, even in the modern NBA, adversity is not an insurmountable obstacle.

In the age of social media spats and cryptic passive-aggressiveness, Giannis sat in the media room before and after each game and answered reporters’ questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. NBA fans will not soon forget his media session between games five and six, when Giannis provided an incredibly insightful and unanimously praised encapsulation of his mental fortitude.

“When you focus on the past, that’s your ego,” Giannis said. “When I focus in the future, it’s my pride. … I kind of like try to focus in the moment, in the present. That’s humility. That’s being humble.”

Giannis proved that it is possible to treat the media, the fans, and each moment with the grace it deserves, and still perform at an elite level on the court.

Contemporary NBA superstars are decreasingly relatable and increasingly unlikeable, except for Giannis. He is the antidote. The transient culture of the modern NBA makes year-to-year roster construction tough to follow, except for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are cohesive, home grown, and give small markets like Charlotte, hope.

Legions of fans worldwide marveled at Giannis’s greatness during Milwaukee’s title run. However, fans were truly captivated by something greater: the feeling of comfort and purity that accompanies a worthy championship chaser.

Giannis brought struggle and hope back to the NBA. He brought relatability back to the NBA. And he brought fulfillment back to the NBA.

Giannis Antetokounmpo single-handedly made the NBA satisfying to watch again.