As Giannis Antetokounmpo slammed and swatted his way to Finals MVP over the last two weeks, he also caught the basketball public’s attention with a quality we don’t usually reserve for NBA superstars.
Antetokounmpo paired his on-floor dominance with a notable earnestness en route to the Larry O’Brien Trophy, becoming the most endearing Finals protagonist in recent memory in the process. Antetokounmpo delivered legendary press conference monologues, marveled at seeing LeBron James courtside and provided not one, but two instant-classic Finals highlights. As the NBA’s grueling pandemic period comes to a close, seeing Antetokounmpo cradle his first championship trophy is a welcome sight.