Even though Giannis Antetokounmpo has been putting up great numbers night after night for Milwaukee, he recently confessed this campaign hasn’t been easy at all. In fact, before he led the charge for the Bucks and beat the Sixers 114-105 this Thursday, he called this his hardest season ever.
The former back-to-back MVP, who is in the race for the accolade again this competition, recently posted 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists in 37 minutes of play at the Fiserv Forum. However, he seemed somewhat beat after the contest.
These kinds of matches, where he can easily go up and score, are difficult to find these days. This time around, he faced one of the strongest teams in the Eastern Conference, but without their superstar big man Joel Embiid. Postgame he shared why this has been his toughest season so far.
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Says 2023-24 ‘Has Been The Hardest Season That I’ve Played’ https://t.co/reFjaC3XPY
— Hoops Wire (@WireHoops) March 14, 2024
“Yeah, it’s … it’s … it’s hard. I feel like for me, this has been the hardest season that I’ve played — not only physically, because I had the procedure done on my left knee in the end of June. And I had to get back to myself,” Giannis told Sam Amick this week.
The eight-time All-Star explained why these past 10 months have been a rollercoaster ride. “I feel like when the season started, I wasn’t (myself). And the reason was that I hadn’t played basketball until like the second week of training. I had to get back to being by myself. But emotionally, and mentally, it’s been draining. I’m not going to lie to you. It’s been extremely tough,” he said.
“But at the end of the day, I think when you face adversity in life, that’s when you excel the most,” Antetokounmpo expressed. “So I’m just trying to, as a leader, as a basketball player, as a person, just trying to do what I do, keep on enjoying the game of basketball, keep on hanging in there, keep on trying to improve my game, doing the right thing.”
The Milwaukee team are currently second in the East with a strong 43-24 record and with 15 games to go before the playoffs. The Wisconsin franchise will now rest until Sunday, when they face off Kevin Durant’s Suns.
Giannis revealed last month how changing coaches in Milwaukee has affected the team: ‘It’s draining’
Respecting a coach’s process seems to be one of the best moves for a healthy team, even though sometimes squads need to be shaken up from their core in order to react positively on the basketball court. However, the Milwaukee franchise has had four head coaches in the past seven months, and it hasn’t been easy for the roster.
During this past All-Star Weekend, star Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked about all the events that have occurred behind the scenes with these modifications, and he admitted that it has been “hard” to deal with them.
“It’s hard. It’s hard. This is my fourth coach in the span of six months,” the forward revealed. “Coach (Mike Budenholzer), coach (Adrian Griffin), (interim) coach Joe (Prunty) and Doc. Different philosophy, different game plan. It’s hard. It’s draining.”
The Greek Freak then admitted he’s tried his best to adapt. “I’m a student of the game. When somebody asks me to do something, I try to do it to the best of my ability,” he expressed. “I try to understand what we’re trying to accomplish, both so I can understand and so I can be there for my teammates when they ask questions.”
