Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are the reigning NBA champions, and currently sit at 27-19, fifth in the East but just two games back of the Bulls and Heat, tied atop the standings.
Like so many teams, it has been a year filled with sudden absences and makeshift rotations, but coming off of their title run, there is an air of calm around Milwaukee despite some ups and downs. It’s a far cry from where they were a year ago at this time after yet another early exit from the Orlando Bubble, getting thumped in five games by the Miami Heat, which raised further questions about whether this Bucks team and their star were built for postseason play.
They answered that emphatically in the 2021 postseason, particularly in a first round sweep of those same Heat, as Milwaukee seemed to take great pleasure in exorcising some demons against the team that sent them packing a year prior. Funny enough, it’s now Miami that has to answer questions about its legitimacy, as there are plenty that have discredited their run to the Finals in 2020 as a result of the strange circumstances of the bubble, particularly for Miami’s three-point shooters who all very much enjoyed the empty Orlando gym.
One of those critics is Giannis himself, who told The Athletic’s Eric Nehm that he believed that 2020 series would’ve gone very differently under normal circumstances, and took a dig at the Heat for being “built to be a bubble team.”
“Year 7. Ended with Miami,” Giannis said. “I don’t make excuses as an athlete, but it wasn’t a satisfying year for me because I felt like if it was a normal situation, it wouldn’t end up like that. But at the end of the day, I felt like Miami was built to be an NBA bubble team, you know?”
It’s a spicy quote from Giannis, but it’s not hard to understand why he feels confident speaking like this after his performance last playoffs and that of his team. Still, there’s a very good chance we get to see the two teams meet again this postseason, this time with the Heat taking a turn as the team trying to rewrite its narrative. Giannis’ comments will surely make their way to Miami, where the Heat may shrug them off for now but they will certainly linger in the minds of those who were on that 2020 team if the two sides find themselves clashing in a series later this year.