Antetokounmpo caps extraordinary postseason as Finals MVP

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was named NBA Finals MVP.

He was an easy choice after collecting 50 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in a 105-98 Game 6 victory over Phoenix that clinched the championship for the Bucks.

He did all that while dealing with a hyperextended left knee that prevented him from playing in the last two games of the Eastern Conference finals against the Atlanta Hawks.

He has also won two regular-season MVP awards and he is just 26 years old.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) holds the finals MVP trophy after the Bucks... — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) holds the finals MVP trophy after the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of basketball's NBA Finals in Milwaukee, Tuesday, July 20, 2021.(Paul Sancya | AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

GIANNIS FANS WATCH IN GREECE

Coffee shop owner Yiannis Tzikas and his wife Kaiti Drimba pour champagne into plastic glasses... — Coffee shop owner Yiannis Tzikas and his wife Kaiti Drimba pour champagne into plastic glasses after the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA title, in the Sepolia district of Athens on Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo grew up in Sepolia and used to stop at the coffee shop before basketball practice as a teenager. (AP Photo/Derek Gatopoulos)(Derek Gatopoulos | AP)

In Giannis Antetokounmpo’s old neighborhood in Athens, Greece, local fans watched Game 6 of the NBA Finals at a small cafe.

It’s where Antetokounmpo, as a teenager, used to stop for a snack before basketball practice.

The cafe owner remembers him as a “simple, humble, and polite” young man and says he hasn’t changed with stardom, which now includes an NBA title and series MVP award.