Giannis Antetokounmpo set for Milwaukee Bucks rebounding milestone
By Adam McGee
Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely take a notable step up the Milwaukee Bucks’ all-time rebounding leaderboard when they return to action on Thursday.
As Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken to dominating the NBA from night to night, and leading a juggernaut Milwaukee Bucks team forward, records and statistical milestones have become something of the norm for the 25-year-old.
In spite of just being in his seventh season in the league, Antetokounmpo has already left his mark indelibly in a variety of notable areas and, in particular, is starting something of a rush toward the top of many of the franchise’s most notable statistical leaderboards.
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In fact, when the Milwaukee Bucks return to action following the All-Star break on Thursday night in Detroit, one such notable climb in the history book is on the cards.
Currently sitting in third place on the Bucks’ all-time rankings for total rebounds, Antetokounmpo is now just seven boards behind the legendary Bob Dandridge in second place.
Given the fact that Antetokounmpo should be all set to return to Bucks action having missed a couple of games before the break following the birth of his son, and that he has only amassed fewer than eight rebounds once in a game this season, it seems like a virtual lock that he will move up into second on Thursday in the Motor City.
Currently at 4,490 rebounds, Antetokounmpo may well cross the 4,500 mark against the Pistons, leaving him looking up at only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the top of Milwaukee’s rebounding summit.
Taking the next step up to catch Kareem will take a long time for Antetokounmpo, and if it’s ever to become a possibility, it will certainly require him to remain with the Bucks beyond his current deal.
Much like in so many notable categories, Abdul-Jabbar boasts a truly absurd lead at the top of the rebound chart with 7,161 total boards. For context, it could take three full seasons of Giannis rebounding at his current rate beyond this year to bridge that gap.
Of course, that speaks to the difference in Abdul-Jabbar and Antetokounmpo’s NBA trajectories, with Kareem entering the league as a 22-year-old who had dominated his competition in college, as opposed to Giannis arriving as a 19-year-old who had been plying his trade in Greece’s lower professional divisions.
Still, simply by gradually eating into those kind of gaps, and by moving up into second place on all-time Bucks lists, Antetokounmpo’s all-time Bucks stock soars.
It doesn’t take any looking at the record books for Bucks fans to realize they haven’t had a player as good as Giannis currently is since Abdul-Jabbar left for L.A., but now the hope will be that Antetokounmpo can deliver some of the other moments that his predecessor was able to.
He’s already come up with an MVP award, perhaps a trip to the Finals, or even a championship can follow in the next few months.