25-year-old Greek-Based Nigerian NBA star, Giannis Antetokounmpo , who plays for Milwaukee Bucks basketball team in the US, has been named the Most Valuable Player Award for second straight season.
He becomes the third player in league history to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, joining only Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon. He is also the 12th player in history to win the NBA’s MVP award twice in a row.
He is the first player since Steph Curry in 2015 and 2016 to go back-to-back. Antetokounmpo beat out James Harden of the Rockets and LeBron James of the Lakers for the award.
Antetokounmpo earned 962 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters as well as the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award fan vote. Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James finished in second place with 753 points, while Houston Rockets guard James Harden finished in third place with 367 points.
Antetokounmpo became Giannis’ surname after it was spelled that way on his Greek passport instead of his birth name of Adetokunbo. He was born in Greece to Nigerian parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo.
