Giannis Antetokounmpo notched another legacy moment on Wednesday night with a lefty layup that put him at 20,000 points in his NBA career. Milwaukee Bucks fans serenaded him with chants of “M-V-P” as a tribute video showed footage tracing his incredible journey from the streets of Athens, Greece, to the NBA mountaintop. The moment filled his coach, Doc Rivers, with appreciation for his once-in-a-generation superstar and some gripes about how little the league seems to notice.
20,000 points. 20,000 memories.
Keep changing the narrative, Giannis. pic.twitter.com/emriUUrzG3
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 6, 2025
“I hear about everybody else, and I don’t hear enough about what Giannis is doing,” Rivers said after the Bucks’ 134-107 win over the Dallas Mavericks. “He’s having a career year this year. And it’s, in some ways, at least, I feel like it’s going unnoticed.”
Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP who’s having arguably his best season ever at age 30, ranks only No. 4 in the current MVP standings, behind Nicola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jayson Tatum. Rivers lauded Antetokounmpo’s elite work on both ends of the court. The former Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 has been first-team All-Defense four times.
Playing his entire career in the league’s fourth-smallest media market likely plays a role in going more under the NBA radar than he would in Chicago, New York or Los Angeles. Being a relatively quiet superstar also factors in.
“To me, he’s like Groundhog Day,” the Bucks coach said. “He does it every day, the same thing. And I think at times, we do take it for granted.”
Antetokounmpo’s points milestone places him in elite company. He’s the sixth-youngest NBA player to hit 20,000 points. He currently sits at No. 52 on the league’s all-time scoring list. Teammate Damian Lillard ranks #37 all-time with 22,453 points.
The pair showed their ongoing scoring prowess in Wednesday’s rout of the undermanned Mavericks. Lillard shot 73% on his way to scoring 34 points. Antetokounmpo shot 65% and scored 32 points.
Antetokounmpo made clear after the game that he’s just getting started. Will he hit the 30,000-point mark, as all five players who reached 20,000 points at a younger age than him?
“For sure, 100% I’m going to get there,” he said. “I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I’m gonna show up every single day and I’m gonna do it. “
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