Giannis Antetokounmpo
reissued his NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award after receiving 962 points in the final vote, where he accumulated an appreciable advantage over
LeBron James
(753) and
James Harden
(367).
The Bucks power forward becomes the third player in history to add more than one accolade at age 25, an achievement so far only within the reach of
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
and LeBron James.
The jury turned 85 of their 101 first picks to Greek, while James had to settle for the remaining 16.
The award is an endorsement of the extraordinary season of Giannis, who also joins a strict club formed by
Michael Jordan
and
Hakeem Olajuwon
, so far the only ones to receive the MVP in the same season as the best defender of the year award.
"Just being in the same conversation as them means a lot to me," said the winner from his home in Athens.
"Jordan was one of the best, if not the best. And also Hakeem, whom I admire and who came from Nigeria, where my roots are," added the great star of the Bucks.
Until March 11
The choice was based on the performance of the players until March 11, the date of the league stoppage due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the 57 games he played until that day, Giannis had averaged 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
These figures allowed
Mike Budenholzer's
team to
reach the best record in the regular league, with 56 victories in 73 games.
However, the elimination before in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference against the Miami Heat (4-1) was a complete debacle for the team, which should have competed for the championship ring.
Doncic, fourth
Antetokounmpo, with a contract in force until 2021, could become the most coveted free agent on the market if he does not renew in the coming months with the Wisconsin franchise.
Likewise, Giannis becomes the first European with two MVPs, since previously only
Dirk Nowitzki
had been able to lift the Maurice Podoloff Trophy in 2007.
Luka Doncic
, the other European in the final vote, finished fourth, with 200 points, just ahead of
Kawhi Leonard
(168).
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