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The ‘Greek Freak’ did it all

With his 50 points, the Greek Freak became only the second 50-point man from a champion team in NBA history after Bob Petit scored 50 points in the St. Louis Hawks’ Game 6 victory over Boston in 1958 AL S. MENDOZA also147@yahoo.com

He did everything. He drove. He rebounded. He assisted. He dunked. He blocked. He charitied. He even stuffed an incredible game-clinching alley-oop in a made-for-Hollywood gig. Name it, he’s done it.

If he’d been given some more time, he might have also found the cure to the pandemic.

They call Giannis Antetokounmpo the Greek Freak since he is from Athens, Greece. But, oh, well, yes, he is a freak of nature in the sense that he does things in a totally different way.

At 6-foot-10 when barefooted, he stands almost 7 feet when with shoes. He jumps to as high as Mt. Olympus, his wingspan double that of a monkey-eating eagle’s.

Although a point-guard at the start of his career, he was a power forward when drafted as a mere 15th in 2013 by the Milwaukee Bucks because of his potential to score buckets at will.

He proved that on Wednesday, July 9, when he scored 50 points in Milwaukee’s title-clinching, 10598 Game 6 victory as the Bucks bucked a 0-2 deficit by magnificently stringing up four straight wins to prevail 6-2.

With his phenomenal performance, Antetokounmpo proved that his record-breaking, five-year contract extension of US$228 million in December 2020 was more than worth it.

Yes, the Bucks are now the proud NBA champs again since they first won it in 1971, 48 years to the day they dropped a 102-87 Game 7 Finals loss to the Boston Celtics on May 12, 1974.

Because his Game Six 50 points came on the 50th year of the Bucks’ return to the throne, Antetokounmpo added a dash of drama when he ordered 50 chicken nuggets to spice up the victory party.

With his 50 points, the Greek Freak became only the second 50-point man from a champion team in NBA history after Bob Petit scored 50 points in the St. Louis Hawks’ Game 6 victory over Boston in 1958.

But Antetokounmpo did more that embellished his Finals MVP trophy, grabbing 14 rebounds, blocking 5 shots, assisting twice and making 16 of 25 from the field spiked by a crucial triple.

And look at this. He completely outdid himself at the line, coolly sinking 17 of 19 charities in a spectacular feat since he was a mere 55.6-percent free throw shooter before the Game 6 clincher.

“People told me (including Phoenix’s top gun Chris Paul) I can’t make free throws and I made them tonight,” said Antetokounmpo. “And I’m a freaking champion.”

He is the freak, yes, and also the freaking peek to a frigging future fraught with a wealth of possibilities.

PRIME SPORTS

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2021-07-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://epaper.sunstar.com.ph/article/281741272445813

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