Giannis Antetokounmpo’s relentlessness sets tone for Milwaukee Bucks, says team-mate Kyle Korver
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Friday 24 January 2020 20:04, UK
Milwaukee Bucks’ veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver said the hard work and relentlessness of Giannis Antetokounmpo sets the culture and tone for the team.
Korver, now in his 17th NBA season, has played alongside MVPs LeBron James and Derrick Rose and been part of a 60-win team with the Atlanta Hawks. The 38-year-old three-point specialist understands all about the demands of championship-level basketball and the pressure it places on a team's star player.
"[Giannis deals with] it really effortlessly," Korver said. "A lot of times the expectations, for a young MVP, can weigh on a guy, but he has a great family and he is really secure with who he is. He is not trying to create an identity out of basketball. He feels really fortunate just to be playing in the NBA. At the core of him is that understanding and because of that, he is able to handle things really well.
"He really sets the culture. When the coach can get on the best player or motivate or challenge the best player to be the hardest worker, to be relentless, that player can challenge the rest of us do that too. Giannis accepts all the coaching, he takes on constructive criticism and he goes to work. He sets the tone for our team in a lot of ways.
Antetokounmpo won his first MVP last season and his drive to continually develop his game has enabled him to raise his standards even higher this season. The Bucks lead the Eastern Conference with a league-best record of 39-6 with the 'Greek Freak' averaging a career-best 30.0 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. He has also embraced the three-point shot, one of the few flaws in his game, draining a career-high 1.6 triples per game.
Korver, who has led the NBA in three-point percentage in four separate seasons, believes that illustrates one of Antetokounmpo's greatest qualities.
"Giannis is a great worker. Being able to work hard is a talent. Not a lot of guys have that drive. Some people can jump really high, some people can run really fast, some people think the game really well. Being a worker is a talent too," he said.
"Giannis has a lot of talents but that is definitely one of them. Adding shooting to his game is going to make him even harder to guard and he has put it at the top of his priority list. He works hard at it, he is making them and he is doing great."
Off the court, Korver has also noted Antetokounmpo's growth as a leader and drew a comparison with his former Chicago Bulls team-mate, 2011 league MVP Derrick Rose.
"There are a lot of similarities between (Giannis) and Derrick (Rose)," he said. "Giannis is learning to be vocal and to pick his spots. As he gets older he has more wisdom and things to share. He leads by example.
"To me, those are the best kind of leaders - you're not just talking about it but truly being about it. Giannis' leadership starts there and it feels like it keeps growing by the week. He is a great leader, a great player and a great person."
Korver's decision to sign with Milwaukee in 2019 free agency saw him reunite with Mike Budenholzer, his coach during his five-season tenure with the Atlanta Hawks.
It wasn't a straightforward decision to play in Milwaukee, but it is a choice Korver is happy he made.
"I love Coach Bud. Our relationship goes way beyond basketball. Probably some of my favourite years in the NBA were spent playing for him in Atlanta. Coming back and playing for him now along with a new set of guys has been great," he said.
"There were a lot of things I had to weigh [in free agency]. I have a family and it's not just about playing time and winning. There are a lot of things you evaluate when you are making these decisions. But, certainly, Milwaukee felt like a great fit and I'm really happy that we are here."
And how do the 2019-20 Bucks compare with the title-hunting Hawks and Cavaliers teams on which Korver previously played?
"It is right there," he said. "It is hard to win a championship - you need a lot of things to go your way, you need a lot of pieces and you have got to have a lot of luck but it is good to play on a team that is in the mix."
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