Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals Painful Memory Fueling His Chasedown Blocks

Giannis Antetokounmpo gets a chasedown block on Alex Caruso. (Photo: IMAGN)
Giannis Antetokounmpo gets a chasedown block on Alex Caruso. (Photo: IMAGN)

One of the best qualities that makes Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks great is his relentlessness. Antetokounmpo uses a painful memory to motivate himself on the court, specifically from his childhood when he's chasing blocks on the fastbreak.

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On the first episode of "The Eye of the Game" with Austin Rivers on NBA on NBC, one of the topics they tackled was Antetokounmpo's chasedown block on Jayson Tatum in 2019. "The Greek Freak" described what he was thinking at that moment and how he was able to catch Tatum.

"This is my heart," Antetokounmpo said. "I'm thinking about the days in Greece where I had nothing to eat. Nobody sprints like this. No superstar sprints like this."
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Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up poor in Athens, Greece. He and his younger brothers had to help their parents earn a living by selling items like watches, handbags and sunglasses on the streets. He began his pro career in 2011 by signing with Filathlitikos.

After two years there, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him with the 15th pick in 2013. He mostly came off the bench as a rookie before breaking out in 2017, becoming an All-Star. He won back-to-back MVPs in 2019 and 2020. He also led the Bucks to the NBA championship in 2021.

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With around $338 million in career earnings, Antetokounmpo doesn't have to worry about his next meal. Nevertheless, his experience as a poor kid growing up stuck with him and kept him motivated on the court. His success story was even turned into a Disney movie called "Rise," released in 2022.


Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled out for 1-2 weeks with groin injury

Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled out for 1-2 weeks with groin injury. (Photo: IMAGN)
Giannis Antetokounmpo ruled out for 1-2 weeks with groin injury. (Photo: IMAGN)

Milwaukee Bucks fans held their collective breath on Monday after Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers early. He was ruled out for the rest of the game because of a strained groin and underwent an MRI the following day.

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According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Antetokounmpo was diagnosed with a low-grade left groin strain. He has been ruled out for at least one to two weeks because of the injury. It's a form of good news since it wasn't a long-term injury, though he's likely to take his time in recovery and not rush his return.

Antetokounmpo was putting up MVP numbers before his injury, averaging 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. The Bucks will need to survive without their best player and are currently sitting 11th in the East standings with a record of 8-7.

Milwaukee Bucks Fans? Check out the latest Milwaukee Bucks depth chart, schedule, and roster updates all in one place.

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Edited by Juan Paolo David
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