Hours after delivering Milwaukee its first NBA title in 50 years, Giannis Antetokounmpo decided to drive to a nearby Chick-Fil-A and treat himself to 50-piece order of chicken minis Wednesday morning. With the Larry O'Brien and Bill Russell Finals MVP trophies in tow, Antetokounmpo showed his fun side to employees and fans in an Instagram live post as they continued to bask in the glory of their championship win.
Giannis took the trophies to Chick-fil-A and ordered ππ±ππππ₯π² 50 nuggets.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 21, 2021
Amazing scenes π pic.twitter.com/PSAMuoO3TM
The Greek Freak deserved not only the meal but the fans' adulation after his towering display in the 2021 NBA Finals. It's incredible to think that only three weeks ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo's status for the Finals was up in the air after hyperextending his left knee in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks.
Giannis goes on a Finals fear after scary knee injury
Giannis Antetokounmpo himself feared that his season was done after his left knee buckled in that scary landing. Fortunately for the Bucks faithful, no structural damage was found in his left knee, setting the stage for his Finals debut days later.
After missing two games against the Hawks, he returned to start Game 1 against the Phoenix Suns. He didn't miss a beat in the series opener, scoring 20 points and grabbing 17 rebounds in Milwaukee's 118-105 loss to Phoenix. Even though the Bucks lost in Game 1, the sight of Antetokounmpo running up and down the court without injury gave Milwaukee fans hope that they can win the championship series.
The Giannis Antetokounmpo of old returned with a vengeance in Game 2. He scored a playoff career-high 42 points, 20 of which came in the third quarter alone as he single-handedly tried to keep the Bucks afloat. He shot 15-of-22 from the field and nabbed 12 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in a tremendous all-around performance but unfortunately got little support from his Bucks teammates as Milwaukee lost 118-108.
Trailing 0-2, the pressure was on the Bucks as the series shifted to Milwaukee for Game 3. Once again, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo who stole the show for the Bucks, racking up 41 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in Milwaukee's 120-100 demolition of Phoenix. The Greek Freak joined Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in NBA Finals history to record back-to-back games with at least 40 points and ten rebounds.
After a poor showing in Game 3, the Phoenix Suns responded the next game as they looked to build a commanding 3-1 series edge. They were in control for most of the contest and even led by nine points early in the fourth quarter.
However, the Bucks battled back behind the heroics of Khris Middleton, who finished the game with 40 points. Antetokounmpo's play late in Game 4 was the talk of the town, however, as he preserved the win with an incredible block on Deandre Ayton.
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Giannis caps the Finals with two iconic plays and a 50-point masterpiece
With the Suns trailing by two at that point, Devin Booker drove toward Antetokounmpo into the lane and lobbed a pass to the cutting Ayton. Just when it seemed Ayton was going to tie the game with an alley-oop dunk, Giannis appeared out of nowhere and delivered an all-world block to seal the Game 4 win.
CLUTCH BLOCK BY GIANNIS π± pic.twitter.com/jwB0b75o65
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 15, 2021
Antetokounmpo delivered yet another iconic play days later in Game 5, this time on the offensive end. The Suns were on the verge of a fantastic comeback as they managed to slice the Bucks' lead to one with the ball in Devin Booker's hands in the dying seconds. Booker's plan to give Phoenix the lead was thwarted by Jrue Holiday, who snatched the ball away from the All-Star guard.
Many expected Holiday to waste some clock after the steal, but Giannis had other ideas as he raced to the other side of the court, demanding an alley-oop pass. Holiday obliged Antetokounmpo's request, resulting in one of the best clutch plays in Finals history with Giannis delivering a hammer despite a shove from Chris Paul.
The two-time MVP saved his best performance for last in Game 6 of the NBA Finals as he gave the Bucks just their second NBA title. Antetokounmpo stamped his class in the series clincher, recording 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks. He shot 16 of 25 from the field in Game 6 and turned his weakness into a strength, going 17 of 19 from the free-throw line.
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged an incredible 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game in the championship series, all while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor. He cemented his status as an all-time great as he joined Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to win a regular-season MVP Award, a Finals MVP Award, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award.
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