Giannis Antetokounmpo struggled a bit in Milwaukee Bucks‘ win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday but he still managed to put up 41 points and 15 rebounds, along with 9 assists, to continue his streak. He should be on MVP conversations.
Blake Griffin was among those who first declared the Greek Freak to have a dominant season and contend for the prestigious individual award. After seeing what he did to the Bulls, he feels vindicated.
“He looks like he’s on mission,” the six-time All-Star said in NBA on Prime during recap of the Bucks-Bulls game.
“A lot of people maybe wrote off the Bucks a little bit. No Dame Lillard, different team. It looks like he’s trying to remind everyone ‘No, no. I’m still the man. I still got control of this team’, which is fun to watch.”
He also gave a shout out to those who raised eyebrows for his take.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks to post up against Brooklyn Nets forward Blake Griffin (2) in the first quarter during game two in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
“He is my pre-season pick for MVP by the way. A lot of people doubted me,” he said with a smug expression.
“[Giannis] was my preseason pick for MVP, by the way.”@blakegriffin23‘s pick is living up to the hype 🦌 pic.twitter.com/KEFWcmgcXN
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) November 8, 2025
Giannis Antetokounmpo in NBA.com’s MVP ranking
Giannis is in the conversations and as per NBA.com’s first MVP ranking, he is second next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is third, followed by San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, and Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic.
SGA getting the first spot was frowned upon by many because the Greek Freak is better statistically. However, the ranking is also based on team standings as the Thunder are currently 7-1 while the Bucks are 6-3 after losing some games they should have won.
NBA.com wrote about Antetokounmpo:
Perhaps nobody on the Ladder carries a bigger burden, and these are the times when you discover how valuable a player is and needs to be. The two-time MVP seems hell-bent on hauling the Bucks to respectability, and the scary thing is, he might pull it off before the season’s done. Lots of games left to be played, though.
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