Giannis Antetokounmpo Fulfills Kobe Bryant's Challenge And He's In Disbelief
Kobe Bryant’s legacy loomed large over the biggest force in the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA championship victory on Tuesday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was issued a challenge on Twitter by the late Hall of Famer two years ago to win a title after he previously fulfilled Bryant’s dare to win an MVP award.
Still waiting for my challenge.. @kobebryant
— Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) August 24, 2017
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) August 27, 2017
My man....M.V.P. Greatness. 🙌🏾💪🏾 Next up: Championship. #MambaMentalityhttps://t.co/dhZTFI1Aam
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) June 25, 2019
Consider Bryant’s confidence in the Bucks superstar fully validated now. Antetokounmpo scored 50 points in the Game 6 clincher over the Phoenix Suns. He won the Finals’ MVP award for good measure.
After the game “The Greek Freak” recalled his correspondence with the Lakers legend, who was killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
“I didn’t think he was going to respond to me. But when he did, he made me believe,” Antetokounmpo told reporters in a clip that can be seen below. “I’m like, ‘Kobe Bryant thinks I can do this? I can play at a high level and lead my team and win MVP?’ I had to do it.”
“I had to work hard,” he added. “And not necessarily not to let him down. I had to work hard because people believed that I could do it, and that’s the thing.”
“It’s unreal. I can’t believe it.”
"I'm like, 'Kobe Bryant thinks I can do this?' ... I had to do it."
Giannis reflected on the challenge he got from Kobe. pic.twitter.com/PjARFFbzZZ— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 21, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.