Giannis Makes Noise in Franchise Record Books with Wednesday's Effort
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo ended Wednesday's tilt against the Sacramento Kings with 32 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two steals and one block. The effort made him the first Bucks player since 1979 to record 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds seven different times in a season, per NBA.com.
The versatile 6'11" forward has averaged 23 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.7 steals over 70 games so far this season, leading the Bucks in each of the five biggest categories. The outstanding season earned Giannis his first All-Star selection, where he started in the frontcourt for the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo—still just 22 years old—is only in his fourth NBA season. The Greek Freak has improved his stats in each of those campaigns, but the biggest jump occurred between last season and this season. He's averaging approximately six more points, almost a full rebound and over one more assist per contest in 2016-17 despite seeing his playing time plateau at just over 35 minutes per game.
Milwaukee inked Giannis to a four-year extension last September, guaranteeing he will stay with the franchise through at least the 2020-21 season. His new deal—which kicks in next season—will net him a massive pay bump from the approximately $3 million he's earning this season. In the first year of The Greek Freak's new contract, he will take home nearly $22.5 million.
While it's still too early in his career to draw any conclusions, Giannis has the early makings of becoming a superstar in the association.
