Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo wins NBA’s MVP award for the second straight year
ORLANDO, Fla. — Giannis Antetokounmpo overwhelmingly was voted the NBA’s most valuable player, winning the award for the second year in a row.
The Bucks forward averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists in only 30.4 minutes per game, leading Milwaukee to the league’s best record during the regular season. Antetokounmpo joins Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in league history to win MVP and defensive player of the year in the same season.
“What Giannis does for our team on both ends of the court, every night, is extraordinary,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. “As a teammate, he sets the bar for all of us through his incredible work ethic, his unselfishness and his drive to be the best. He impacts all of us as a player and a person, and we’re proud to congratulate him once again on being named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.”
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is a force the Lakers will have to counter. Anthony Davis has been effective but JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard will defend him too.
He’s also the third player in league history to win multiple MVP awards by age 25, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James.
Antetokounmpo received 85 of 101 possible first-place votes, with James receiving the other 16.
The Lakers’ star finished second in the voting, followed by Houston’s James Harden, Dallas’ Luka Doncic, the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and Lakers teammate Anthony Davis.
Antetokounmpo’s Bucks were upset in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, losing in five games to Miami.
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