Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s title as NBA MVP isn’t going anywhere.
The 25-year-old has reportedly won his second consecutive MVP Award, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He beat out Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Houston Rockets guard James Harden.
Antetokounmpo’s second straight MVP Award puts him on a long, elite list of players to win consecutive MVP’s, including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, LeBron James and Stephen Curry.
Of those players, only Nash didn’t win an NBA title. Antetokounmpo is looking for his first.
Antetokounmpo also won Defensive Player of the Year this season, making him one of the only players to win both awards in the same season — Only Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon have accomplished the feat.
Antetokounmpo averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, one steal and one block this season while shooting 55.3% from the field and 30.7% from three-point range.
The four-time All-Star led the Milwaukee Bucks to a 56-17 record and a first-place finish in the Eastern Conference. He also led the club to the conference semifinals against the Miami Heat, though they lost in five games.
Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. Although many think Boston sports fans are insufferable, Erin tries to see things from a neutral perspective. Her passion is hockey, and she believes defense wins championships. In addition to covering sports for Yardbarker, she covers Boston sports for NBC Sports Boston. Follow her on Twitter @ewalsh90
