There are so many ways to start a discussion around what Giannis and the Bucks just did. The incredible story of a team exercising playoff demons by leaning right into them and forcing them into tough situations (twice down 0-2 in series). The all encompassing brilliance that is Giannis, couple that with the story of him staying, violently refusing the "easy way" and signing up to stay in Milwaukee long term. Then there's the fact that effing Milwaukee won a title in a sport dominated by big markets and flashy locales. All of it is great. But at the end we have to start with Giannis.
Giannis Antetokoumpo was long one of the best players in the world. He won the MVP two seasons ago and did so easily, leading the Bucks to 60 wins. Then his team flamed out after leading 2-0 in the Conference Finals, against what was the 2nd best team in the NBA that season and the eventual Champions. Someone this, and more than that their flameout in the bubble, defined them. But to say Giannis is now crowned is wrong. He is a once-in-a-generation story, someone growing up in poverty in Greece raising his whole family out of it with his singular brilliance. We could have written that story two years ago. It was as true then as now. What's different is what he did once he became one of the best: he kept trying.
It's so annoying how often we had to hear about both Giannis's and the Bucks' shortcomings the last two seasons. His inability to shoot jump shots - and more worryingly his propensity to still shoot them. The team's unwillingness to change, to adjust. We were so easily making declarative statements about a team that did nothing but win a whole lot of games and struggle in a bubble environment. It was stupid. The team then did tweak a few things (even if many weren't willing to give them any credit for that), but mostly they just kept going, and like the Raptors themseles, or the Mavericks way before them (or the Capitals or Lightning from the NHL), eventually talent won out.
And talent being what Giannis is. Let's stop focusing on his inability to shoot - I mean if he could shoot threes you may as well hand him the next five titles. He's a singular talent who is way more creative and talented than someone who just uses brute force. His spinning, whirling, drives and attacks to the rim only work because he's brilliant at layups from any angle. He's worked to have a great hook and short jump shot game. He's become a better passer. He's willing to put himself out there and head to the line. He's about as good as he can be which is an MVP level player who put up 40+ three times in the finals.
He also is one of the most genuine stars - someone who is assured of himself but still humble. Gregarious and caring. The best part of his celebration, aside from a truly heartening "sit down and take it all in moment" was him so excited to say "We fucking did it Khris" when asked about how it felt to win a title with Middleton. He was happy to win, but he was happier to win in Milwaukee - something he very much directly said in the postgame press conference.
For the team as a whole, a lot of what you can right about the Bucks you could've easily written about the Suns - this was a win-win series in terms of a neutral fan wanting to see great players get paid off with a ring. From Middleton, always dinged for his few off-nights shooting, coming up huge both to close out the Nets, to taking control when Giannis was out, to hitting what was probably the clinching shot late in Game 6. From Jrue Holliday not backing down when he struggled, and playing just brilliant defense throughout. From Brook Lopez transitioning back and forth from stretch-5 to post-up madman late in teh Hawks series. And of course from Bobby Portis rediscovering his game to provide great bench scoring late.
The Bucks were a well constructed team - they always were. This time though they didn't tighten up. Or more accurately they tightened up slightly less than before. They still nearly blew some games. They still shot poorly given how good they were at threes in the regular season. They still sometimes got too tight and operated too slowly late in games. In many ways they weren't too different, they just won enough games.
And really that's the lesson here - we're so quick to write narratives. Even in this series, so many people were hammering the Bucks after they dropped the first two games in Phoenix, saying how they didn't belong how broken they were. Missing the fact that they just missed makeable shots at the rim and the Suns went 20-40 from three in Game 2, a game the Bucks were very much in. It even switched to the Suns who people were criticizing on offense - especially Devin Booker for looking for his shot too much - despite them hitting a ridiculous offensive efficiency. We're too quick to react; but now we don't have to.
The Bucks were never a bad team, just one waiting for its moment. They didn't get those moments in the past - they were 2-0 up on Toronto, in OT in game 3 before Kawhi had his moment. Now it was Giannis, with teh push shot in Game 7 OT against the Nets, and of course the two incredible moments of Giannis's block on Ayton and then the alley-oop in game 5. Those were the moments that defines a champion, it's just great the Bucks stuck it out to get there.
These stories in the NBA are so rare because it is so dominated by stars, and superteams and dynasties. But every now and then you get a team that sticks it out like the Mavs or Raptors, but weirdly the Bucks may be just getting started. Their just in Year 3 of their run, way before we really started saying the Mavs or Raptors were chokers. Giannis is just 26, Jrue and Khris still in their primes. Their young guys may get better - let's remember the last three rounds were all without starting guard Dante Divicenzo. The Bucks are here to stay, but in reality they were always here.
