Milwaukee’s star could be joining the ranks of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and other great five-season players with a remarkable 2022-23. Giannis has won two Kia MVPs in the last four seasons. He also won a championship and a Finals MVP.
Sometimes in a player’s career, the hoop seems twice the size, when it is easy to play, when wins come almost every night, and when championships follow. He’s at his peak when he can dominate the game and earn a spot among the all-time greatest players.
Before greatness can reach a decade, however, it must first travel half a century.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2018-22
Giannis Antetokounmpo is trying to put together five amazing seasons. The Bucks are back at the top of the NBA heap with Antetokounmpo’s 31.3 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game. You can bet on the NBA in NetBet Casino.
Mike Budenholzer, Bucks coach, said that he does everything right on and off the court. He plays unselfishly and plays defensively. He believes in the team and is committed to it. Giannis is Giannis. He’s unique, and special. While he travels, we are all thankful to have been a part of it.
Giannis has won a pair each of Kia MVPs in the 2018-22 season, as well as a championship, Finals MVP, and Kia Defensive Player Of The Year awards. In Game 6, he dropped a 50-piece against the Phoenix Suns, which was one the best Finals performances. Antetokounmpo could have won a second title last year if Khris Middleton had been healthy.
Giannis’ dominance of half a decade would be reflected in another stellar season. Since 1976’s NBA-ABA merger, there have been many players who have won the title for five consecutive seasons. To be eligible for the conversation, a player must win at least one championship. Many of them have multiple titles. They also need to have at least one MVP in the regular season and Finals. A player still may not be considered for the conversation (sorry, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett).
Here’s Antetokounmpo as he tries to make his mark in the half-decade history of these 10, but not necessarily in this order:
Michael Jordan, 1988-93
Jordan is one of a few players who have had multiple half-decades worth mentioning. This stretch saw Jordan win three MVPs, three titles, and three Finals MVPs. He also led the NBA’s scoring in all five seasons. He was awarded the Defensive Player Award, two steals titles, and won three MVPs. This is his half-decade high point and certainly his stretch of reckoning. He became an icon, bigger than basketball, thanks to all of these plus endorsements and “Space Jam”, which hit theatres in 1996. The initials MJ (from 1988 to 1993) meant that you were referring to Michael Jordan… or Michael Jackson. It doesn’t matter which way you look at it; it is a huge deal.
LeBron James, 2011-16
It is interesting that his half-decade as a dominant figure began inauspiciously. LeBron still had deep scars from his “decision” and a humiliating defeat in the 2011 Finals of the Mavericks, where he struggled. He broke down and cried. The rest of his game was a masterpiece of basketball. His Game 6 victory over the Celtics at 45 points and 15 rebounds in 2012, the many highlights with the “Big Three Heat,” and his spectacular playoff performances against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, when he won Cleveland’s first championship. All of it culminated in three titles, three Finals MVPs, and two MVPs. This sparked water-cooler debates about who the greatest player ever was.
Larry Bird, 1983-88
Larry was a “Larry Legend,” made more remarkable by the strength and longevity of the era. This decade was the NBA’s Golden Age. It was before expansion started to dilute talent and before players were often free agents. Given the level of talent, it was hard for any one player to be the best. Bird was among the three winners of consecutive MVPs. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and two other titles. His steal in the Detroit Pistons semifinals and his assist to Dennis Johnson are among the most memorable playoff plays. The playoff duel between Dominique Wilkins and Bird in the ’88 East semis was amazing. Bird won that one too. His grudge matches against Magic Johnson and the Lakers transformed the NBA into appointment TV.
Tim Duncan, 2002-07
Here he won three of five titles, two MVPs in the Finals, and both MVPs. Duncan was at his best and in his element on both ends of the court during this period. This was when Duncan helped the Spurs to one of their most memorable runs. It also enabled them to win the 2000s. Although Duncan was statistically less successful than other players on the list, his overall impact, particularly in the postseason when he improved his play, was undeniable. From a stylistic standpoint, we can say that he didn’t sell any shoes. San Antonio will insist that he kept the Big Fun in “The Big Fundamental” during this period of his career.
Shaquille O’Neal, 1998-2003
“The Diesel,” all five seasons with the Lakers. They started just before the Shaq Kobe dynasty and ended right after. He was younger, just as energetic and as smart with Orlando 1992-96, but not wiser. In 2006, he lost his title with Miami, which was clear evidence of his decline. The greatest force the NBA has ever seen was the prime Shaq, especially since Chamberlain. Shaq won three titles and three Finals MVPs. He also claimed his only MVP (Steve Nash should have had another) as well as a scoring title. This is just a small glimpse of how difficult it was for him to defend his titles without resorting to Hack-A-Shaq.
Stephen Curry, 2014-19
These were the years where he made a significant impact on the game and was an all-time great. He was the first unanimous MVP and won three of his four MVPs. His three-point shooting of 43 percent was a highlight and set him apart from other retired and active superstars. Curry won the title and was named Finals MVP last season. He is 34 years old, and it’s difficult to imagine Curry replicating what we saw in these five memorable seasons.
Kareem Abul-Jabbar, 1976-81
This was in addition to his performance from 1971-74, when he was more dominant and led the league in scoring twice, mainly with the Bucks, before joining the Lakers. It doesn’t count because it was before the merger. He did win more championships in the later years of his career than the one he won in this stretch. Abdul-Jabbar was not the best player for the Lakers in the mid-to-late-80s. That was Magic Johnson. He was a great player from ’76 to ’81 and served as a bridge between some very average Laker teams and the beginning of the “Showtime” era.
Moses Malone, 1978-83
The first year in Philly was a magical one for many reasons. Malone was one of the first free agents to leave the league and came to the 76ers via a signing-and-trade deal. Then, he famously predicted that Philly would be “fo fo and fo” during the playoffs. However, they lost only one game. He was a Rockets player for the four previous seasons, leading an otherwise average team through deep playoff runs. He made another famous prediction as Houston reached the 1981 NBA Finals. This time, it didn’t happen. He claimed that he and four men from Petersburg, Virginia, could defeat Larry Bird and his team in that series. Malone won four rebounding championships in those five seasons and was second in the league, scoring (31.1 points per game) in 1981-82.
Kobe Bryant, 2005-10
He suffered during the first two seasons. However, he had to deal with average teammates and poor results. Bryant, however, was a unique force with two consecutive scoring titles (35.4 & 31.6), an 81-point masterpiece, and other nightly feats that produced his MVP season (2007-08). He was able to achieve those feats after Pau Gasol’s arrival when he won back-to-back titles as well as a pair of Finals MVPs. Bryant, who was freed from Shaquille O’Neal’s shadow at the beginning of the decade, was determined to prove himself worthy of the role of leading man. It’s safe for us to say that he passed the test.
Magic Johnson, 1985-90
Magic Johnson was one of four players to win three MVPs in five seasons. He was also the league’s most successful player from a winning perspective in the second half of the 1980s. Magic was the heart and soul behind “Showtime,” which saw the Lakers transform the game and elevate the league. He won three titles as well as a Finals MVP. Johnson was the league’s leader in assists in back-to-back seasons. He also improved his outside shooting skills enough to replace Kareem in the scoring role.
Come check out Belly Up Sports on Twitter for more sports and entertainment news and content.
