Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo: 'I'm F--king Desperate' to Win 3rd MVP, 2nd NBA Title

Having already put together a Hall-of-Fame resume, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is still as hungry as ever in his pursuit of individual and team accolades.

In an interview with The Athletic's Sam Amick, Antetokounmpo explained why he's "f--king desperate" to win a third MVP and a second championship:

"I'm obsessed. I'm scared to lose what God has gave me and the life that I've provided for my kids and my brothers and for my mom, you know? I'm scared. So I f---king work as hard as I can, because I don't want to lose this s--t. And it's not gonna stop until I'm out of this league. So I do have the trophies somewhere. But I try not to look at them, because I want to win another one. I do want to. But I don't want to go and say it. I don't want to beg. I want my game to speak for itself."

Antetokounmpo noted some of his desperation is because he's "not as talented as" other top stars like Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant.

It's hard to remember a time when Antetokounmpo was under more pressure to win than any player in the NBA. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The Bucks were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in both of those seasons, but they lost before reaching the NBA Finals both times.

Antetokounmpo's second MVP season ended with a second-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat in five games. His 21.8 points per game against the Heat was his lowest average since his first career postseason series against the Chicago Bulls in 2015 (11.5).

Following the Bucks' loss to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN's Malika Andrews noted getting to the NBA Finals "could tip the scales as (Antetokounmpo) weighs his contractual future."

That wound up not being an issue for the franchise because Antetokounmpo signed a five-year extension in December 2020, three months after their loss to the Heat.

It turned out to be a great move for both parties because Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years during the 2020-21 season. He capped off that playoff run with 50 points and 14 rebounds in the clinching Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns.

After losing a seven-game series to the Boston Celtics in the second round last season, Antetokounmpo has the Bucks back in prime position to make another deep playoff run. They have won 21 of their last 23 games and lead the NBA with a 50-19 overall record.

Antetokounmpo is in a three-man race with Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers for the MVP award. The Greek Freak ranks fifth in scoring average (31.5 points per game) and tied for second in rebounds (11.9). He's also among the top candidates for Defensive Player of the Year.

There have only been six players in NBA history to win at least three MVP awards and two championships.