Giannis Antetokounmpo (28, Greece) showed a sense of loss about being eliminated from the all-defensive team.
Adetokounmpo posted his solemn face on his personal SNS on the morning of the 10th (Korean time) with the words, “I am tired of rudeness, but I will continue to move on.”
The reason Antetokounmpo, who seldom said unnecessary things on social media, was so angry was because he was not selected for the all-defensive team announced by the NBA Secretariat that day.
Antetokounmpo has been a part of the Defensive First Team and Second Team every year since the 2016-17 season. Besides, he has been a member of the Defensive First Team for the past four seasons. However, he was dropped from the defensive team this year, earning only 16 first team votes and 28 second team votes.
This year, Antetokounmpo finished sixth in the Defensive of the Year award, but that vote is separate from the All-Defensive Team. Besides, it wasn’t just defensive awards that Antetokounmpo missed out on. He averaged 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, but finished third in MVP voting behind Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks, who still boasted a strong defense in the 2022-23 regular season, produced Zhuru Halladay and Brook Lopez to the defensive first team, except for Antetokounmpo.
However, it failed to advance to the top round of the playoffs as it was defeated by the ‘8th seed’ Miami Heat led by Jimmy Butler. The No. 1 seed, Milwaukee, suffered multiple come-from-behind losses in five games, allowing 124 points per game. That’s about 11 points more than the regular season average.
The aftermath of the playoff elimination was strong. Antetokounmpo expressed in an interview that he was preparing for the next season, saying, “It is not a failed season,” but was often ridiculed by the media and fans. In addition, the future of Milwaukee became even darker as Antetokounmpo’s teacher, Mike Budenholzer, was suddenly sacked.스포츠토토
Attention is focusing on whether Antetokounmpo can overcome these trials and prepare well for the upcoming 2023-24 season.