NBA Awards 2019: Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo wins 2018-19 Most Valuable Player of the Year award

Benyam Kidane

NBA Awards 2019: Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo wins 2018-19 Most Valuable Player of the Year award image

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo caps off his remarkable season, winning the 2018/19 NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year award. 

The Greek Freek led the Bucks to a league-best 60-22 record in the regular season, finishing with the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.


 

Averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists (all career-highs) and 1.5 blocks per game, Antetokounmpo was named to the all-defensive first team and was a unanimous selection to the All-NBA first team.

The 24-year-old was also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year and led the league in PER (30.9) and win shares per 48 minutes (.292)

Antetokounmpo beat out reigning MVP James Harden of the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Paul George to win his first MVP trophy, finishing with 78 first-place votes.


He also becomes just the fourth non-American born player to win the MVP award, following Hakeem Olajuwon, Steve Nash, and Dirk Nowitzki.

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.