FLORENCE, ITALY – Milwaukee Bucks won their second title in 6 games over the favored Phoenix Suns in the NBA Basketball championship 2021 thanks the European player Giannis Antetokounmpo, born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994.
In Game 6, Antetokounmpo recorded 50 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks as the Bucks clinched their first championship in 50 years. He posted series averages of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks, and was subsequently named NBA Finals MVP (Most Valuable Player).
In the immediate aftermath of a legendary performance to close out the 2021 NBA Finals and win a championship for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo declared that he signed his five-year contract extension with Milwaukee.
In his finals debut, Antetokounmpo recorded 20 points and 17 rebounds in a 118–108 loss. He then registered back-to-back games with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a Game 2 loss and a Game 3 victory, joining Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 as the only players to reach those numbers in consecutive Finals games. He also joined Jordan, O’Neal and James as the only players to put up at least 40 points in back-to-back Finals games in the previous 50 years. The Bucks continued their comeback after having lost the first two games of the series, prevailing in the next four contests.
In the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks swept the Miami Heat in four games in a rematch of the previous year’s semi-finals, and went on to defeat the Brooklyn Nets in seven games in the Conference Semifinals. They defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the Conference Finals. Therefore, the Bucks went on to make their 3rd appearance in the NBA Finals in franchise history and their first since the 1974 season.