Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo did not shy away from praising the sacrifices of one of his teammates this year. On Wednesday, Jan. 7, an article written by Sam Amick, published on The Athletic, featured an exclusive interview with Antetokounmpo, which delved deep into his career and his overall outlook on the current state of his team.
The two-time regular-season MVP was asked for his thoughts on his belief and confidence in his team to figure things out and be a top contender for the 2026 NBA championship. For Antetokounmpo, it’s all about winning, which is why he had a ton of praise for his teammate, Kyle Kuzma, who has sacrificed a lot.
“I’ve been a part of winning teams, and winning teams don’t always win championships, right? Indiana was a winning team but didn’t wind up with the championship. So I’ve seen some teams, and some players, who are buying in like [Kyle] Kuzma. Kuzma won a championship [with the Lakers in 2020], then went to Washington and played a lot of years. He’s a vet. But he’s the most bought-in player, right?” Antetokounmpo said.
“He’s coming off the bench making $25 million ($22.4 million this season). He could be like, ‘Guys, I’m the third option. I’m second option. Give me the ball.’ But, he is buying in. He’s coming off of the bench, then he starts, comes off the bench, gets touches, doesn’t get touches. That’s what winning looks like, you know?” he continued.
Kuzma was acquired by coach Doc Rivers’ Bucks right before the trade deadline in the 2024-25 season last February. He was traded with draft compensation from coach Brian Keefe’s Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, draft compensation, and cash considerations. As mentioned, Kuzma won the 2020 NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers and hopes to do the same with the Bucks this year.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Says To Win Is To Become Selfless
To double down on his point on the selflessness and sacrifices that Kyle Kuzma has made for the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his interview with The Athletic by talking about his team’s 2021 NBA championship run. For that discussion, the “Greek Freak” delved deep into how selfless you have to be to become a winner, as you cannot do so on your own.
“You cannot win on your own terms, right? Do you think when I won the championship, that I didn’t want to have the ball down the stretch and make all the shots that Khris Middleton was making? I wanted that. But at the end of the day, winning cannot be on your terms,” Antetokounmpo was quoted as saying.
“So I feel like sometimes on young teams, you have to win by you being pretty, by you being the ball-dominant player, by you feeling good and making the plays. No, you have to be selfless. You have to be selfless. I’ve seen this over and over again,” he added.
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Also Read: “I’m the Hottest Chick in the Game”: Giannis Antetokounmpo Addresses Trade Rumors Involving Grizzlies, Pistons And More
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