Giannis Antetokounmpo is an NBA champion who can now take as long as he wants to shoot his dang free throws (well, until he starts playing competitive games again, that is). At the Bucks parade, the Finals MVP took his sweet, sweet time on the team’s float to catch the ball, bend his knees, face the crowd, and stare into a sea of Bucks fans before taking the shot. It was petty and perfect.
Giannis practicing his free throws at the parade
Even did the pause
pic.twitter.com/WuIgUrNqvm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 22, 2021
Instead of a count to 10 — which, as we saw on a few occasions this postseason, he’d be whistled for a violation — from the away crowd, he was embraced by “Bucks in 6” chants with a smile on his face.
Antetokounmpo is having the time of his life after pulling an all-nighter after the Game 6 win and driving with his girlfriend to order 50 (not 51 or 49) Chicken-n-Minis at Chick-fil-A on Wednesday. The sandwiches matched the 50 points he poured in to beat the Suns in the series-clinching win. Hundreds of Bucks fans swarmed the fast food chain, and he spoke with them and even let some fans touch the Larry O’Brien trophy.
J.R. Smith emerged as a post-championship shirtless parade icon in 2016, and now Antetokounmpo is claiming his spot as one of the most must-watch athletes both on AND off the court.