Giannis Antetokounmpo has defined an era of NBA hoops. He became one of the best players in league history while playing exclusively for a small-market Milwaukee Bucks team. His tenure in Milwaukee just came to a close, though, as the Bucks finally traded him, after years of trade rumors, to the Miami Heat.
In return, Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis, Kel’el Ware, three first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a pick swap option. It could go down as one of the biggest trades in NBA history and has fans reminiscing on the basketball journey Antetokounmpo embarked on in Milwaukee. The Greek Freak isn’t the first all-time legend who suited up for the Bucks, though. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also had a legendary career with the team that was similarly ended via a blockbuster trade to a more prestigious franchise. So, how do Antetokounmpo and Abdul-Jabbar’s Bucks tenures compare?
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Bucks tenure
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, was drafted first overall in 1969 after accomplishing arguably the best amateur basketball career in history. He won 71 straight games in high school before winning three national championships, three NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards, and three National college player of the year titles at UCLA. Alcindor played college during an era where freshmen weren’t allowed to compete on the varsity, so he could have done even more with an extra year of eligibility.
Such success made it clear that Alcindor would be the number one overall pick. To this day, he is still viewed as one of the most highly touted prospects of all time. It wasn’t a guarantee that the Bucks would be the team to select first overall, though. Milwaukee, in just their second year of existence, needed to win a coin flip over the Phoenix Suns for the right to pick first and take the UCLA product.
Alcindor’s dominance didn’t stop at the NBA level. The number one pick earned three of his league-leading six MVPs with the Bucks. He also won a championship in 1971 with Oscar Robertson as his running-mate, and one day later, Alcindor officially became Abdul-Jabbar.
The center, known for his stellar rim protection and unguardable sky hook, played 20 years in the NBA and had career averages of 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He won six championships in total and was a 19-time All-Star. He also led the NBA in blocks four times and scoring twice.
Only six of the Tower of Power’s seasons came in Milwaukee, though. The big man felt that the midwest didn’t fit his cultural needs, so a trade request resulted in him joining the Los Angeles Lakers. There is no doubt that Abdul-Jabbar’s most dominant years, at least as a scorer, came with the Bucks, though. He surpassed the 30-point-per-game mark four times with the team and truly revolutionized the sport as a member of the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
They say that all good things must come to an end. That is at least true for the Bucks. An Abdul-Jabbar trade netted the Bucks just Dave Meyers, Junior Bridgeman, Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, and cash, making it one of the most one-sided deals in NBA history. In fact, prior to Luka Doncic’s recent trade, most considered it the biggest fleece job in NBA history.
The Bucks got a lot more back for Antetokounmpo. Still, receiving a package of draft picks and young players for one of the best NBA players ever has to feel like a gut punch for a lot of Bucks fans. The Greek Freak didn’t come into the NBA as well-known as the big man who came before him. He was raw and not physicality developed when the Bucks drafted him 15th overall in a 2013 NBA Draft that is known as one of the worst classes ever, outside of Antetokounmpo.
Eventually, the 7-footer would bloom into one of the greatest physical specimens the NBA has ever known. Despite his height, Antetokounmpo has the speed and agility of a guard, but he is also one of the strongest players in the NBA. Number 34 can bully his way into the paint and score inside nearly at will.
Antetokounmpo spent over twice as long in Milwaukee as Abdul-Jabbar did. In 13 seasons, he made 10 All-Star games and averaged 24.1 points and 9.9 rebounds. His defensive prowess was evident, too. Not only could Antetokounmpo swat shots away at the rim, but he could also defend on the perimeter. He was able to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in his second of two MVP seasons.
Like Abdul-Jabbar, Antetokounmpo brought one NBA championship to Milwaukee. He earned NBA Finals MVP honors after a 50-point performance in a closeout Game 6. The two-time MVP’s relationship with the Bucks always seemed solid, as he regularly confirmed that he wanted to spend his entire career in Milwaukee, but ultimately, the Bucks’ inability to build a contender around him in the years after the championship led to a trade.
Both players had fantastic careers with the Bucks, but in conclusion, Antetokounmpo is the best player in Bucks history, with Abdul-Jabbar coming in second in that regard. The retired center is clearly a top 10 all-time player, if not top five. A select few even include him in G.O.A.T. debates with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. At age 31, Antetokounmpo still has time to climb the all-time rankings, but as of now, he is somewhere between 15th and 30th all-time.
The post How Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks tenure compares to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after franchise-altering trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.
