“I teared up a bit” – Giannis Antetokounmpo on the unveiling of the Milwaukee Bucks’ championship banner

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has a soft side to go with his competitive edge. The 26-year-old admitted he got emotional as the Bucks unveiled their championship banner and presented their players with championship rings before their matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday.

Speaking about the emotions he experienced upon receiving his ring, Giannis said:

“It was a lot of ups and downs for me. I teared up a bit, but happy seeing everybody happy… The banner is always going to be there. We’re a part of history.”

Giannis made these remarks to the media after the Milwaukee Bucks came away with a convincing 23-point victory against the Brooklyn Nets on opening night.

Elaborating further on the significance of the ring, the Greek Freak said:

“Having this ring, showing it to your family members and your kids down the road, it's always going to be special.”

The ring presented to Giannis Antetokounmpo and his teammates was crafted by Jewelers Mutual. Each ring is inscribed with “Fear The Deer”, “Bucks in Six” and Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff series score-lines against their opponents (4-0, 4-3, 4-2, 4-2).

The ring also has a QR code which, when scanned by a mobile phone camera, plays a video featuring memorable moments from the Bucks’ playoff run. Giannis told reporters in the media session that putting the QR code on the ring was his idea.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo comes up with dominant performance against the Brooklyn Nets

Playing against the Brooklyn Nets for the first time since the 2021 playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks came up with an impressive win riding on a dominant performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Giannis had 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in the game to begin the the Bucks’ title defense on a strong note. He also had five offensive boards and two blocked shots in an all-round performance that decimated any hopes of the Nets coming away with a road win on opening night.

Khris Middleton had 20 points and nine rebounds to complement Giannis’ effort in a game where Jrue Holiday was forced to miss the second half because of a heel contusion injury.

The Bucks, however, made up for Holiday’s absence with strong contributions from Pat Connaughton (20 points) and Jordan Nwora (15 points) off the bench.

Having said that, the night undoubtedly belonged to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished with a plus-25 overall, the best plus-minus for any player in the contest.