Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo on Pace to Make Absurd NBA History
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the NBA’s most unique talents, and the feat he’s currently on pace for would highlight just how special he is. Through the 2024 NBA All-Star break, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.8 points on 61.6% shooting from the field.
Those numbers came over 54 games played, and if the Milwaukee Bucks star is able to wrap up the regular season north of 30 points per game while shooting 60% or better, it’ll make him the first player in NBA history to do so.
Milwaukee’s star, who earned the nickname “The Greek Freak,” cleared one of the two requirements for this NBA feat last season, averaging 31.1 points per game. He finished the season shy of the required shooting percentage, though, posting a still-stellar shooting mark of 55.3% percent.
A few other players have come close to achieving this feat, with former Utah Jazz forward Adrian Dantley posting the highest shooting percentage of any player who averaged 30-plus points per game. Dantley averaged 30.7 points on 58% shooting in 1982–83, doing so just one season after posting 30.3 points and shooting 57% from the field in 1981–82.
Another noteworthy name who came close was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during his time with the Bucks. Abdul-Jabbar, like Dantley, had back-to-back seasons that just narrowly missed the mark. He averaged 31.7 points on 57.7% shooting in 1970–71 and 34.8 points while knocking down 57.4% of his attempts from the field in the 1971–72 season.
