Giannis Antetokounmpo’s top 5 moments from a historic 2021

No. 2 – The alley-oop from Jrue Holiday to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Game 5 of the Finals (July 17th)

With 2:20 remaining in the 4th quarter of a pivotal Game 5 of the Finals, the Bucks led 120-112 and seemed to be in firm control. Suddenly, two minutes later, the lead was down to 120-119 as Devin Booker drove into the lane for a potential go-ahead bucket.

Instead, he was stopped by P.J. Tucker and Giannis, and as he turned around he met Jrue Holiday, who ripped the ball away and gained possession with 18 seconds left and the Bucks up one. Most of the time in this situation, the player would hold the ball and wait to get fouled, but Holiday saw Giannis streaking down the court towards the hoop and made one of the gutsiest decisions of his career.

He lobbed the ball up to Giannis, who threw it down with authority as he was fouled by Chris Paul. Giannis then gave an amazing stare into the camera, and it was yet another iconic moment in an already legendary Finals series for the Greek Freak. The Bucks went on to win the game, taking a 3-2 series lead back to Milwaukee for a potential closeout Game 6.

No. 1 – Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 50-piece in Game 6 to win the Finals (July 20th)

There is little doubt what the best moment of the year was for Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was Game 6 of the NBA Finals with the Bucks one win away from winning their first title in 50 years… a title that Giannis had dedicated himself to winning for the city since the day he arrived.

Things seemed fairly normal at halftime. The Bucks trailed by five and Giannis had 17 points. Nothing too crazy.

Then the third quarter happened. Antetokounmpo put up 20 points in that quarter alone, tying his record from Game 2 for the most points scored in a Finals quarter in the past 25 years. He went a perfect 7-7 on free throws in the quarter, and it was quickly becoming a special performance and a special game, with the Bucks up one heading into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter, Giannis checked into the game with 9:45 remaining and the Bucks leading 84-82. He proceeded to score 12 of the Bucks’ next 16 points, putting the Bucks up 100-92, and the rest was history.

With nine seconds remaining, Giannis made a free throw to give him 50 points for the game – the sixth-most points in a Finals game by any player in history. He had 14 rebounds and a remarkable five blocks to go along with the 50 points, making him the first player with 40 points, 10 boards, and five blocks in a playoff game since Shaq. It was a perfect ending to a historic playoff run for the Greek Freak.

2021 was a special year for Giannis. It was the year he became an All-Star Game MVP, the year he became a Finals MVP, the year he became a champion, and the year he cemented his spot as an all-time great.