Former DPOY lauds Giannis Antetokounmpo's growth after recalling fiery ejection in first playoff series: "Completely lost his cool"

Giannis Antetokounmpo has evolved into one of the NBA's best players, amassing two MVP awards, one Defensive Player of the Year award and an NBA championship in his career, which began in 2013. From being a 19-year-old prospect drafted from Greece, his development has been a success story for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Former DPOY Joakim Noah, who has witnessed Antetokounmpo's growth firsthand, spoke about the "Greek Freak's" progression on "The Old Man and the Three" podcast on Monday. He began by recalling one playoff instance from 2015 when Antetokounmpo barrelled through Chicago Bulls’ forward Mike Dunleavy, who had taken a 'cheap shot' at Antetokounmpo's neck:

“He just completely lost his cool. ... It was his first playoff series, and he got thrown out the game, and we ended up winning the series. I think it was a learning experience for him.

"I didn’t really get to spend too much time with him, but obviously, a lot of respect. Now, he’s definitely a lot stronger. He’s bigger, he’s more athletic than he was even back then. So, good luck to everybody who’s in his way."

Antetokoumpo, who was just 20 years old back then, was called for a flagrant foul and ejected. He was also given a one-game suspension that he served in the following season.

Since then, Giannis Antetokounmpo has become the Milwaukee Bucks’ biggest superstar, winning the team's first (since 1971) NBA championship in 2021.

This season, the Bucks have been slowly climbing up the Eastern Conference standings, holding a 12-11 record after starting the season with a 1-6 slate.

---

Thanasis Antetokounmpo breaks down Giannis Antetokounmpo's growth as a player

Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis' older brother and biggest supporter, broke down how his brother defied criticism throughout his NBA career on Sunday's episode of "The Thanalysis Show":

"Sometimes, in the world, there's certain people who just play through their ceiling every time. It happens with LeBron (James) where you're are like, 'Hey, you're not gonna be this athletic at 40 years old dunking on everybody.'

"... At first it was, 'Oh my God, this guy (Giannis), he's scrawny, he can't play in the NBA. (He) bulks up, bulldozes everybody. Then the metrics was like, 'He won't pass.' (He's a) great passer, right on the money. Now it's like, 'OK, he can't make free throws.' Won a Finals game shooting 17-for-17 free throws." (10:09)

This season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been leading the Bucks in scoring and rebounding, as he's averaging 32.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game.