Giannis Antetokounmpo has been in a scintillating form so far this season. His on-court displays show his determination and desire to win personal and team glories. The Milwaukee Bucks star is having one of his best seasons in the NBA and has achieved some milestones already.
He recently surpassed a long-standing record in Bucks history held by Michael Redd when he scored 64 points against the Indiana Pacers. Despite making headlines for hitting 64 points recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo has now moved on to joining elite players like Michael Jordan and LeBron James in cementing their names in franchise history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo achieves an elite milestone
Giannis Antetokounmpo has had several great performances this season. On 14th, against the Pacers, he scored 64 points to become the leading point scorer in the Bucks’ history. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored another 26 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Bucks’ all-time leading rebounder.
Teammate Damian Lillard also contributed 39 points in Milwaukee’s 128-119 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
Giannis’ season’s highest rebounding performance allowed him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in franchise history. He now holds the Bucks’ career records in points, assists and rebounds. This assists in making him one of the few players, alongside Michael Jordan’s feat with the Bulls, LeBron James with Cleveland, and Kevin Garnett with the Timberwolves, to lead a franchise in all three categories.
The Bucks secured their 13th consecutive home victory, maintaining a stellar 14-1 record at home. While the Bucks won the matchup on Sunday night, Dillon Brooks received two technical fouls and was ejected, while Rockets coach Ime Udoka also received two technical calls for entering the court. Following the technicals, Lillard made 3 of 4 free throws, matching his season-high scoring total, and recorded 11 assists, which was among the notable highlights in the game.
However, after achieving a personal milestone for himself in franchise history, Giannis will now set his sights on battling LeBron James who is leading in several categories in NBA all-time charts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
In Sunday’s 128-119 triumph against the Houston Rockets, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP for the Milwaukee Bucks, achieved another franchise milestone by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most rebounds. Antetokounmpo secured his 7,162nd career rebound, contributing 26 points and 17 boards to propel Milwaukee to victory, breaking Houston’s five-game winning streak and securing a fourth consecutive triumph for the Bucks.
After the game, Bucks coach Adrian Griffin praised Giannis and also added, “And I think we got the game ball,” alluding to Wednesday night when Antetokounmpo had a heated exchange with the Indiana staff. The dispute over the game ball occurred as both teams squared off in a hallway following his 64-point performance.
Back in March 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo had already become the team’s all-time scoring leader, breaking another Abdul-Jabbar mark.
“It’s a big honor,” Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t think anybody assumed the skinny kid from Greece that was drafted and supposed to play in the G-League was going to be in a position to break a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record.”
In Sunday’s win, Giannis was joined by Khris Middleton, who added 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Additionally, Damian Lillard matched his highest point total in a Bucks jersey with a season-best 39 points.
