Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks spoke to members of the media on a conference call on Wednesday in the United States during which he addressed the idea of playing for a title under the unprecendented circumstances in Orlando.
Asked about whether the eventual champion will have an asterisk, the reigning MVP said “I hear a lot of people saying it could have a star next to it. It’s going to be the toughest championship you could ever win.”
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Antetokounmpo is favoured to win a second straight MVP award and is in the midst of another historic individual season with averages of 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists in just 30.9 minutes per game. His numbers would be even more staggering if not for a relative lack of major minutes. On a per-36 minutes basis, only two players in NBA history — Wilt Chamberlain and James Harden — have ever scored more over the course of a single season.
The Bucks currently hold a 6.5 game lead over the Toronto Raptors atop the Eastern Conference and are currently 53-12. They played much of the season at a 70-win pace before dropping four of five games prior to the season's suspension in mid-March.
Oddsmakers currently have the Bucks at 11-4 to win the title, second behind only the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks resume their season on August 1 against the Boston Celtics.
The views expressed here do not represent those of the NBA or its clubs.
