Tuesday 25 June 2019 10:17, UK
Giannis Antetokounmpo credited the "great habits" built by he and his Milwaukee Bucks' team-mate as the reason behind his MVP season.
The 24-year-old Greek phenom was a resounding winner at the NBA Awards in Santa Monica, California, on Monday night, beating fellow MVP nominees Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder and James Harden of the Houston Rockets, who won the award last year.
Antetokounmpo was a resounding winner. He received 941 points and 78 first-place votes in the balloting, 165 points more than Harden.
Harden finished second with 776 points and 23 first-place votes.
"MVP is not about stats and numbers, and obviously James Harden had unbelievable numbers and Paul George also, but obviously it's about winning," Antetokounmpo said after receiving his award and giving an emotional acceptance speech.
"We created great habits throughout the season and were able to stick by them, and that's why we were able to have a chance in every single game we played and were able to win 60 games."
Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds while earning All-NBA first-team honours this season, his sixth with the Bucks. He led the franchise to the league's best record in the regular season and the Bucks reached the Eastern Conference finals.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as Antetokounmpo thanked his mother Veronica and brothers in the audience at Barker Hanger. He credited his late father for pushing him toward his goals and his team-mates and coaching staff for their help.
"We started from nothing as a family," he said, "and we are going to be in every stage that we can be as a family."
Antetokounmpo said backstage he had vowed to his family he was not going to cry.
"When you hear your name up there on the stage and then you realize these years of hard work, what you did in the past, then you start getting emotional," he said.
Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer also got choked up while thanking his family after his second coaching honour. He earned the trophy for the first time with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015.
'Coach Bud' guided the Bucks to a 60-22 record in the regular season in his first year with the franchise, leading them deep into the playoffs before they lost to eventual champions the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals.
"What they did on the court this year, including the playoffs, was special," Budenholzer said backstage. "We weren't good enough in the end, but we certainly feel like we have enough talent, we have enough character to be a team that's playing in the finals and winning a championship."
Budenholzer beat out Denver's Mike Malone and Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers.
