Antetokounmpo named starter for NBA All-Star Game
Orlando — Giannis Antetokounmpo is in rare air when he rises effortlessly to block shots and throw down his spectacular dunks.
Now the Greek Freak has reached a place where only five other players in Milwaukee Bucks franchise history have been — in the starting lineup at the NBA All-Star Game.
The 22-year-old Antetokounmpo was named to the Eastern Conference all-star team’s starting five for the Feb. 19 game in New Orleans, in voting by fans, players and media. The official announcement was made during a TNT telecast Thursday night.
Antetokounpo drew wide support, finishing second to Cleveland's LeBron James among East frontcourt players in all three segments of the voting — by fans, players and media. The Bucks player drew 1,604,463 votes from the fans. His weighted score of 2.0 trailed only James (1.0) and Kyrie Irving (1.5) in the East. Cavaliers point guard Irving and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan were named to the East backcourt, and Chicago forward and former Marquette star Jimmy Butler was the third frontcourt player selected. Butler edged Philadelphia rookie Joel Embiid, who was third in the fan voting but only eighth among the player votes and fifth in the media balloting.
In the West, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook was not selected, although he is sure to be added as a reserve next week. The West starting five will be Golden State's Stephen Curry and Houston's James Harden in the backcourt, and the Warriors' Kevin Durant, San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard and New Orleans' Antonio Davis in the frontcourt.
Antetokoumpo becomes the first Bucks player selected to be an all-star since 2004, when Michael Redd was named as a reserve. The 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo, who can defend all five positions, is the first Bucks starter in 31 years.
That dates to the 1986 All-Star Game, when the Bucks’ Sidney Moncrief was in a starting unit that included Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Moses Malone and Isiah Thomas.
"It's a great opportunity for Giannis, great for our organization, great for all involved," said Bucks general manager John Hammond. "He's accomplished this and is very deserving for all the work he's put in."
Bucks third-year forward Jabari Parker finished ninth in the East frontcourt voting.
NBA reveals All-Star starters; Russell Westbrook, Isaiah Thomas snubbed
The story of Antetokounmpo’s rise from the second division in his native Greece to becoming an NBA star is an astonishing one.
He was the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft, an unknown with unlimited potential. Hammond and his staff gambled the gangly Greek player could become special.
Antetokounmpo needed time to adjust to his new environment in the U.S. and to the pro game, to gain strength and knowledge. When coach Jason Kidd thought he was ready, Antetokounmpo made the switch to point guard in February last year.
That put him in the middle of everything the Bucks do, on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.
This season it has come together for Antetokounmpo, and recognition has followed.
A cover story in Sports Illustrated.
His first career buzzer-beater at Madison Square Garden to give the Bucks a victory over the New York Knicks earlier this month.
Now his all-star breakthrough.
“Starting is a great accomplishment,” Kidd said. “It’s a perfect way of getting thanks for your hard work. It will show him that hard work does pay off for being able to start in an all-star game.”
Bucks veteran guard Jason Terry said this is just the start for Antetokounmpo.
“He guards 1 through 5. That’s just a special trait,” Terry said. “You’re talking Scottie Pippen, that might be about it. Maybe (Dennis) Rodman.
“Scottie is the only one I remember that guarded 1 through 5 and didn’t have a problem. Same build. Just a little taller.”
Antetokounmpo has deflected all-star talk in recent days and tried to keep the focus on his team. He and 21-year-old Jabari Parker are the young stars the Bucks want to build around as they take steps to move into a new downtown arena for the 2018-’19 season.
“Once the individual accolades start to come, now what are you judged on next?” Terry said. “W's. And that’s going to be the only thing that matters.
“As quick as he has been named an all-star, now those expectations become, ‘Can those two coexist and can they take this team to the playoffs and beyond?’ ”
Recognition has come from around the league. Antetokounmpo was impressive Wednesday night as he contributed 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in the Bucks’ 111-92 defeat to the Rockets in Houston.
“At 7 feet he’s doing things that no one has ever done before in basketball,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s an unbelievable force for them. He’s a superstar and young and hungry. He’s good; he’s really good.”
D’Antoni has transformed the Rockets with the move of James Harden to point guard, putting the ball in his best player’s hands.
The veteran coach sees parallels with what Kidd has done with Antetokounmpo.
“It’s different,” D’Antoni said. “Basketball will evolve. It’s getting there where no one will have a position. At 7 feet, you could be the point guard, the 2, the 3. You’re a basketball player.
“Pretty soon every team will line up five basketball players, all probably about 7 feet. Who knows where it’s going to go?"
Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said it’s not magic that Antetokounmpo has developed in this way.
“I think what you’re seeing is it’s not what everybody wants out of draft picks in terms of overnight, microwave success,” Spoelstra said.
“This has been steady, consistent improvement. When you have an organization that is patient like that and allowing a young group with the same coach to grow, you start to see progress.”
The list of Bucks players to start in the NBA All-Star Game is not a long one. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar started four times while with the Bucks, in 1971, ’72, ’74 and ’75. Bobby Dandridge and Brian Winters were starters in the same year, in 1976.
Current Bucks television analyst Marques Johnson started in 1979 and ’80, and Moncrief started in ’84 and ’86. Moncrief was named a replacement starter in '86 but was voted in as a starter two years earlier.
Antetokounmpo’s numbers show he belongs.
He is the only player in the NBA to lead his team in points (23.7), rebounds (8.7), assists (5.6), blocks (2.1) and steals (1.8).
The only players in league history to lead their teams in all those categories for a full season are Dave Cowens, Kevin Garnett, James and Pippen.
Antetokounmpo has registered 25-plus points, 5-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists in 15 games this season, behind only Westbrook, Harden and James.
Kidd is looking beyond the numbers, however, and believes the best is yet to come.
“It’s just the process of being on the floor, going through the good and the bad, understanding different situations,” Kidd said.
“He’s in the process right now of learning how to be a leader. Once he gets that down, then you’re going to see another jump, which is going to be exciting.
“He still has a ways to go. But the beauty of it is he has embraced what he is being asked to do and wants to do it. That’s what makes him special.”
Bucks have had 18 all-stars
Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 18th Milwaukee Bucks player, and the first since Michael Redd in 2004, to be selected as an NBA all-star. Six of the players, including Antetokounmpo, have been selected as starters (years marked with *). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the most selections as a Buck with six.
Jon McGlocklin (1969)
Flynn Robinson (1970)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970, '71*, '72*, '73*, '74*, '75*)
Oscar Robertson (1971, '72)
Bobby Dandridge (1973, '75, '76*)
Jim Price (1975)
Brian Winters (1976*, '78)
Marques Johnson (1979*, '80*, '81, '83)
Sidney Moncrief (1982, '83, '84*, '85, '86*)
Bob Lanier (1982)
Terry Cummings (1985, '89)
Alvin Robertson (1991)
Ricky Pierce (1991)
Vin Baker (1995, '96, '97)
Ray Allen (2000, '01, '02)
Glenn Robinson (2000, '01)
Michael Redd (2004)
Giannis Antetokounmpo (2017*)