The Bucks fell two games away from advancing to the NBA Finals. But at the awards show that night, Milwaukee did win.
Through tears, Giannis Antetokounmpo received the Most Valuable Player of the season award, while Mike Budenholzer was named Coach of the Year, during the ceremony held in Santa Monica. In addition, Jon Horst won the Executive of the Year award.
Antetokounmpo outvoted Paul George of Oklahoma City and James Harden of Houston, who had won the award last year.
His victory in the vote came by a wide margin. He received 941 points and 78 first-place votes _165 units more than Harden. The Rockets star was second with 776 points and 23 first-place votes.
“The Most Valuable Player award is not based on statistics or numbers, and obviously James Harden had incredible numbers, as did Paul George. But obviously, it’s about winning, ”Antetokounmpo said backstage. “We have generated great habits during the season and we have been able to stick to them. And that is why we have been able to have the opportunity in every game that we have played and that we were able to win 60 games ”.
The 24-year-old Greek forward averaged 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds to be included in the NBA dream team this season, his sixth with the Bucks. He led the franchise to the best record in the regular season.
Milwaukee reached the final of the Eastern Conference, where they lost to the Toronto Raptors, eventual league champions.
Tears rolled down Antetokounmpo’s cheeks as he thanked his mother and brothers, present among the public at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, one of the most exclusive venues for holding events in the town.
During his speech, Antetokounmpo also gave credit to his father, for pushing him to achieve his goals, and thanked his teammates and coaches for their help.
“We started from scratch and as a family,” he recalled. “And we will be in any possible scenario also as a family.”
Offstage, Antetokounmpo revealed that he had promised his family that he was not going to cry.
“When you hear your name there and you realize all these years of hard work and what you did in the past, you start to get emotional,” he explained.
Budenholzer, too, was moved as he thanked his family after winning his second coaching award. He took the trophy for the first time in 2015, with Atlanta.
He led the Bucks to a 60-22 record in the regular season, during his first year with the club.
“What they did on the court this year, including the playoffs, was special,” Budenholzer said off the stage. “We weren’t good enough in the end, but we certainly felt like we were talented enough. We have enough character to be a team that plays in the final and wins a championship ”.
Additionally, Budenholzer coached Team Giannis during the last All-Star Game.
In the vote, the coach outpointed Mike Malone of Denver and Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Horst was honored in the vote by the other NBA executives. The top six awards were defined by a vote of a global media panel.
Lou Williams was voted the Sixth Man of the Year, award for best substitute, for the second consecutive season and for the third time in his career. This is how he caught up with Jamal Crawford, former base of the Los Angeles Clippers.
The first award for Williams, current point guard for the Clippers, came in 2015, when he was playing in Toronto.
For the second year in a row, Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz was named Defensive Player of the Year. The 26-year-old Frenchman outvoted Antetokounmpo and George.
The Cameroonian Paskal Siakam, recently crowned with Toronto, got the recognition for the player who showed the most improvement between one campaign and another.
Luka Doncic, the Slovenian forward for the Dallas Mavericks, was named Rookie of the Year at age 20.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson shared the lifetime achievement award. Mike Conley Jr., recently traded to the Utah Jazz, took the trophies for teammate and athlete of the year, for what he did during his 12-year stint with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards received an honor for his charitable work. AP