The Milwaukee Bucks have had a slow start to the season. They have looked subpar in the first few weeks of the season. It has left fans reminiscing about the 2021 season when the team took down the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA Finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo, along with Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, were able to capture the first title for Milwaukee in 50 years. It isn’t just fans who are fondly looking back on that championship. ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst recently made some interesting comments, calling the 2021 title “one of the purest championships that you could ever win.”
Milwaukee Bucks 2o21 Title
Windhorst talked with Giannis’ brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, on a podcast and expressed his love for how the Milwaukee Bucks built a championship contender. In today’s NBA, contenders are often built through free agency or blockbuster trades. This was not the case with Milwaukee. Giannis was a homegrown talent, picked 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. The biggest trade was for Holiday, sending picks and players to get him from the Pelicans. Windhorst respects this way of team-building.
“The 2021 championship is one of the purest championships that you could ever win. Homegrown. 50 years, they finally go back. They win, they win in this amazing moment. They’re will never be a night like that again. It is okay to say that is the mountaintop … It’s gonna be almost impossible to replicate that. Even if Giannis wins two more it will never be like that because that was the purest one and it happened in Milwaukee.”
This is some high praise for a person who is not affiliated with the organization. In fact, his job at ESPN would benefit if Giannis and the Bucks made more blockbuster trades. Furthermore, if the superstar wanted to force his way into a bigger market, that would also benefit his network. It’s great to see that traditional team-building is respected and can still work.
The 2021 Championship
The Milwaukee Bucks earned the title. They went to war against the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference playoffs and were a Kevin Durant-toe away from losing the series. When they got to the NBA Finals, they quickly found themselves down 0-2 in the series despite Giannis scoring 42 in Game 2. The team remained unfazed. They ripped off four straight, and in Game 6, the Greek superstar had a performance for the ages.
Antetokounmpo dropped 50 points on 16-25 shooting and 17-19 from the free throw line. He added 14 rebounds, two assists, and five blocks in the historic performance. Windhorst talked about how no one can take this away.
“Everyone wants to win one more. It is worth saying the mountaintop was achieved. Once you’re a champion, that’s it.”
We’ve gotten used to superstar players winning multiple championships. NBA fans have been spoiled by LeBron James and Steph Curry assembling talented teams that win two or three championships. However, this is not the norm. It’s hard to win despite what we’ve seen recently. Many great players go their whole careers without lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. The accomplishment of the Milwaukee Bucks capturing a title after so many years should not be understated.
Final Thoughts
It’s tough to watch a team with high expectations struggle. Bucks fans have been hoping to get another title while their superstar is still in his prime. For smaller markets, these opportunities don’t come often. Milwaukee, along with many other franchises, has to rely on drafting and developing, hoping a player becomes the next NBA superstar. However, winning a championship is not something that every fan gets to experience. The 2021 championship was one of the best in recent NBA history. It gives smaller markets hope that they can build a championship contender. This season is far from over, and the Bucks could still be in the mix, but no one can take away what they have already accomplished.
