© Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
A look back at when the Milwaukee Bucks picked Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2013 NBA Draft
The day was June 27, 2013. The event was the 2013 NBA Draft, and little did the Milwaukee Bucks know that this would be a moment that would change the franchise’s fortunes forever. On that day, Milwaukee took a flyer on an unknown 18-year-old from Greece by the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo. A decade later, the “Greek Freak” has etched his name into the annals of the NBA as one of the league’s greatest stars.
A two-time Most Valuable Player winner and an NBA champion, Giannis has been a vital part of the Bucks’ success over the last decade. But it all started on that fateful day.
Built different
One of the people who helped oversee Giannis’ development in the NBA is Bucks assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer. Right then, he had an inkling that Giannis could become a Scottie Pippen-like type of player.
“I was there as soon as he got here, I worked him out the first time he ever worked out. Obviously, he was different. He was 6-8 and a half, 185 pounds, and I think the goal was, from my point of view, could he be Scottie Pippen-like?” Oppenheimer said.
“He could handle the ball, he had great vision, his IQ was really high. I thought, could he be a multidimensional, multi-positional type of playmaker? And I think, if he would have stayed 6-8 or 6-9, he would have been. He would have been a great player regardless,” he added.
Force of nature
Opponents and opposing coaches quickly took notice of the skinny yet skilled forward who was galloping up and down the court, making highlight-reel plays. One such coach is two-time NBA champion Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat.
“Usually young players come in, and they're trying to get a feel, gain some confidence. You're not really sure what your role is, what the expectations should be for you. He was three yards and a cloud of dust basically every possession. Not much has changed, I guess because he's a force of nature. But when you see someone that young -- and he wasn't as physically strong as is now, but he had that mentality -- that made you pay attention,” Spoelstra said.
