It's not been an easy road, but Giannis Antetokounmpo has eventually found the way to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a long-awaited NBA championship last season. However, he’s facing yet another challenging task a few months later.
The reigning champions didn’t enter the new season looking like the team that beat the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 2021 Finals to claim the ring. But they’ve been trying to get there in their last encounters.
Following a weak start, Milwaukee are now riding on a seven-game winning streak ahead of their matchup against the Hornets. And Giannis Antetokounmpo has revealed the secret to string good results together.
Giannis Antetokounmpo explains how to build a winning mentality in the NBA
The Bucks may have not begun the new campaign as expected, yet it looks like they’re getting back on track. The bad results at the beginning of the 2021-22, however, made Giannis think about his first years in the league.
“My first couple years, once we started losing, I’m like, ****, sorry for my cursing, don’t put that in — so, I was like, um, ‘Eff this BS, we’re not losing,'” Antetokounmpo told The Athletic. “And I just put so much load on my body to win game No. 13. Who will remember that? You will not remember that."
That experience has been useful to the five-time NBA All-Star to discover the way to win consistently. "Now, I’ve realized that you’ve just gotta build good habits,” Giannis said. “Just build good habits with your team and when you go down the road, down the stretch, that’s when that mentality enters. ‘We’re not losing. I’ll do whatever it takes.’ But at the end of the day, you realize, I can kill myself right now. Jrue was out. Khris was out. Brook was out. Donte’s out. And I kill myself right now, but I had a conversation with coach (Budenholzer). ‘Just play the right way. Win, lose, just play the right way.'”
With the highly desired NBA title under his belt plus multiple individual accolades, the Greek Freak certainly has arguments to talk about building a winning mentality. Everything he has achieved so far deserves respect, especially considering the way he dealt with a lot of pressure. So, it’s obviously great to hear about the successful secrets of one of the best players in the league.
