“I made them when I’m supposed to make them” was how Giannis Antetokounmpo, newly minted Most Valuable Player of the 2021 National Basketball Association Finals, described his output from the free throw line in the clincher the other day. To argue that the effort was nothing short of outstanding would be to undervalue it; considering his well-documented woes from the stripe, his 17-of-19 clip — and 12 of 13 in a 33-point second half — spoke volumes of his capacity to deliver in the clutch.
Indeed, Antetokounmpo was the engine that drove the Bucks to their first championship since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson teamed up to claim the hardware half a century ago. True, their defense remained stout. On the other hand, nobody else was clicking at the other end of the court, as their woeful 13-point second quarter underscored. So he “made them when I’m supposed to make them.” And not just from the line. He made them down low. He made them in coverage. He made them from everywhere, and in all types of situations.
By the time the battlesmoke cleared, Antetokounmpo put up a masterpiece that stands among the very best in the annals of the sport. His 50-point production in a closeout victory equaled that of Bob Pettit’s 60 years ago, and he capped his dominance with 14 boards, two dimes, and five swats. Given his determination to succeed in front of an overflow crowd at the Fiserv Forum, the Suns didn’t stand a chance.
Pundits can argue that Antetokounmpo was fated to win. After all, he looked far from ready when the Finals started; he missed the last two contests of the Eastern Conference Finals due to a knee injury, further fueling queries on his readiness, or lack thereof. That the Bucks promptly lost the first two matches served to increase the pressure on him to perform. Once he got his groove, however, there was no stopping him. And while he did get support from such notables as Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, Game Six was all him all the time.
Today, the Bucks are champions, and Antetokounmpo has nothing left to prove. He has come a long way since he was taken with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. Questions dotted his campaign to the top, even after he claimed two consecutive MVP awards. Not anymore. Because he “made them when I’m supposed to make them.” Enough said.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
