"I don't want to be buddies with them" - Giannis Antetokounmpo on why he doesn't train with other NBA stars

Just a few months after ending the Milwaukee Bucks' championship drought, Giannis Antetokounmpo is already gearing up for the 2021-22 NBA season. The reigning NBA Finals MVP is not resting on his laurels and after a brief hiatus in Greece, Giannis is training to be even better than before.

Speaking to COSMOTE TV (via Eurohoops) in Greece, the Milwaukee Bucks star said he's embracing the opportunity to be the best version of himself. Giannis claimed that in order to do that, he cannot afford to train with other NBA stars, something that's fairly common among his peers. He elucidated:

"I can’t be fake. I am Giannis. But calling me MVP, calling me champ, calling me the best player in the world, is something that might hold me back. And I don’t want anything holding me back. I want to look forward and be better. That’s why I don’t train with other players. I don’t want to be buddies with them. If we do this and then drink a coffee with them, can I go in the court and use my elbow against them? Can I block or dunk on them? I can’t cause I am authentic. If I love someone, I love him also on the court. I am fully aware of that and I don’t want to put myself in this position."

While stars such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Stephen Curry often work out with friends from the NBA and budding college players, Giannis Antetokounmpo is dead set on taking the opposite path. How this pans out for him and the Milwaukee Bucks remains to be seen.

Can Giannis Antetokounmpo get better while working out on his own?

Giannis Antetokounmpo goes through his pre-game routine

The obvious answer to getting better is yes. Whether it's because he was working on his game alone will always be up for debate. Shooting has always been the chink in his armor that opponents have always tried to exploit. He is a career 71% free-throw shooter with a paltry 28.7% norm from beyond the arc. None of these averages have stopped Giannis Antetokounmpo from being aggressive in games, though, which is the mark of a great player.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a two-time NBA MVP who is a spotty shooter at best. It's scary to wonder what he can become if he pushes his three-point shooting to league average. Who knows whether his solitary training can work magic on his shooting. If it does, the NBA should be terrified.