It didn’t take long before everybody realized that Giannis Antetokounmpo was special. He continued to work on his craft year after year, improving as a scorer and as a defender, and became one of the best two-way players in the NBA.
Even so, perhaps people don’t seem to realize that what Giannis has done in the past three years alone is enough to guarantee him not only a spot in the Hall of Famebut perhaps in the list of the top 10 best players of all time.
That may sound like a bit of a reach right now but that’s mostly because he doesn’t get the credit he’s due. If you were to look at his accolades, there aren’t many things you could say to demeanor his legacy, especially after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their second championship in franchise history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Jordan, And Hakeem Olajuwon: Only Players With MVP, DPOY, And Finals MVP
After being named Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo has joined perhaps the most elite group of two-way players in NBA history, as he’s now one of just three players to ever win Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP.
Kevin Garnett and David Robinson complete the list of players who won both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year but – even though they were both champions – they were never able to completethis trifecta.
Michael Jordan
MVP: 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
DPOY: 1988
Finals MVP: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
It’s not surprising to see perhaps the greatest player of all time make our list. Michael Jordan is one of just 7 backcourt players to win Defensive Player of the Year and he did it all while being the league’s Most Valuable Player as well.
Jordan would go on to win 4 more MVPs and was named Finals MVP in every single one of the times he made it to basketball’s biggest stage. He’s the greatest Finals performer of all time as he didn’t even play in a Game 7.
Hakeem Olajuwon
MVP: 1994
DPOY: 1993, 1994
Finals MVP: 1994, 1995
Hakeem Olajuwon made sure that no one else ate while Michael Jordan was out of the league. He made the most of the chance to dominate without the best player in the picture and had one of the greatest seasons in NBA history in 1994.
Olajuwon is the only player to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP all in the same year, a feature Giannis could’ve matched last season. For now, it seems unlikely that another player will ever accomplish such an incredible thing.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
MVP: 2019, 2020
DPOY: 2020
Finals MVP: 2021
And, as you may know by now, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest member of this unique club. He won back-to-back MVPs in 2019 and 2020, was Defensive Player of the Year as well in 2020but he and his team fell short in the playoffs both times.
Now, the Greek Freak has proven again to be one of the most unique talents in NBA history, and perhaps the most amazing thing about his playoff run is the fact that he hyperextended his knee less than two weeks before the NBA Finals, yet he came back to drop multiple 40-point games.