Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most entertaining stars in the league at the moment. Since he began to lift off, the Milwaukee Bucks have been a problem to deal with in the Eastern Conference. He’s been extremely dominant over the last few years. Offensively, he’s a machine that can score 30 points a night with ease. Defensively, he never stops seeking prey to devour over which is why the league praises him so much.
The Bucks are still a major threat in the league and could potentially win their second title this decade. Giannis led the team to a championship after a 50-year drought in 2021. But unfortunately, the competition is getting tighter and the Greek Freak wants to win another title soon. Recently, he stated that he will not hesitate to walk away if his teammates aren’t on the same page as him in terms of winning another ring. And as expected, it spun the rumor mill with a jolt.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was asked to play Word Association (say the first thing that comes to mind) and was asked about “Jason Kidd”
Giannis: “Genius” pic.twitter.com/IGtIi0XYq4
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) September 14, 2023
Giannis Antetokounmpo made an appearance on 48 Minutes With Bleav. The 2x MVP spoke about his intentions with the Bucks once again stating that he wants them to be as motivated as him and win. During a particular segment, the hosts and Antetokounmpo played a game of Word Association. He had to associate a few words with people or peers of his. So for the word “genius” Giannis quickly associated it with Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. This has raised speculation over a possible interest in the Mavericks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had no idea who Jason Kidd was until he Googled him
Jason Kidd is widely regarded as one of the best passers and point guards of all time. Before landing a job at Mark Cuban’s Mavericks, Kidd was a coach for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo was slowly on the rise at this point and Kidd did a great job of bringing the best out of him. However, one incident infuriated the former Defensive Player of the Year. During a game, Kidd benched Antetokounmpo for some reason and the athlete did not like it.
This flared Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ego and he was quickly taken aback. The Bucks star revealed that he didn’t know much about Kidd which made him angry. So, he googled the former NBA player’s name only to get humbled. He said, “I was like, ‘Let’s see what this guy did in his career, anyway.’ “I saw Rookie of the Year, NBA championship, USA Olympic gold medal, second in assists, fifth in made threes, blah, blah, blah. I was like, ‘Jesus freaking Christ, how can I compete with that? I better zip it.”
Giannis learned not to mess with Jason Kidd ever again. The NBA Champion was in his rookie season at this point and the Bucks were struggling quite a bit. Kidd played an extensive role in Giannis’ development and the Bucks’ emergence. While they did struggle, Kidd managed to level the base for the Bucks’ success to grow in the future.