Can Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard Emulate the Success of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson for the Bucks?

NBA superstar Damian Lillard‘s blockbuster move to the Milwaukee Bucks has the basketball world excited. The fans can’t wait to witness what the duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lillard can do in the league. Ahead of the start of the season, the Bucks were all smiles during their recent photoshoot. During the shoot, Giannis and Dame recreated an iconic image of Bucks legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. But can the duo emulate the success of Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson?

After the Bucks’ social media handle shared a clip of Giannis and Dame recreating the famous picture, fans shared their reaction. Interestingly, the fans were divided. While some believed the duo would achieve something great together, some did not think so.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson’s time together

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson played together for the Bucks for four seasons. In the Bucks’ second year in the league, they drafted Abdul-Jabbar as the #1 pick in the 1969 draft. He immediately dominated the league averaging 28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game to win the Rookie of the Year award. Notably, steals and blocks were not tracked at the time. On the back of his brilliance, the Bucks made the playoffs for the first time that year. After beating the Sixers in the first round, the New York Knicks eliminated the Bucks in the Conference Finals despite the former center’s efforts.

In the next year, the team acquired superstar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals. It was a blockbuster move because of The Big O’s major superstardom and accomplishments. Robertson had an MVP award and was the assists leader five times before he joined the Bucks. Even though Robertson was nearing the end of his career, given his achievements and the sophomore’s potential, there was a major anticipation.

In their first season together, the former point guard averaged 19.4 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game at 32. Abdul-Jabbar took his performance to a whole other level in just his second season and won the MVP award. He averaged 31.7 points, 16 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as per Basketball Reference.

The duo continued their brilliant play in the postseason as well and led the team to their first-ever Finals appearance. The Bucks beat the Warriors 4-1 and swept the Lakers in the Conference Finals on their way. In the Finals against the Bullets, Robertson and Abdul-Jabbar once again displayed their dominance and swept their opponents. For his impressive displays, Abdul-Jabbar won the Finals MVP award. With this win, the duo helped the Bucks win their first-ever title.

After two disappointing years in the playoffs, the Bucks once again reached the Finals in 1974. However, they were beaten by the Celtics 3-4. It could have been the perfect send-off for Robertson who retired after the loss. After the next year without playoffs, Abdul-Jabbar joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard’s success and struggle

After some deep playoff runs in the early 1980s and early 200s, the Bucks have been pretty mediocre. Giannis Antetokounmpo helped change that narrative a few years into his NBA career. The boy who started as a lanky kid from Greece became one of the most dominant players in the league. He was unstoppable and won back-to-back MVP awards (2019, 2020). He has always been in the MVP race ever since as well. Finally, he led the Bucks to the title against the Phoenix Suns in 2021.

In the last two seasons, the Bucks faced defeats at the hands of the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat respectively in the postseason. Antetokounmpo struggled with injury in the series against the Heat last year and recorded his second-lowest (23.3) points average. The lowest was his rookie season. Furthermore, he also missed a crucial game.

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Similarly, Damian Lillard helped the Trail Blazers reach new heights. After joining the NBA in 2012, he hit the ground running and won the ROY award. He soon became one of the best guards in the league with a killer shot. In the 2018-19 season, he helped his team reach the Conference Finals. However, he could not overcome the Golden State Warriors. In the next season, Dame averaged 30 points for the first time in his career. But playoff success eluded in the next two seasons.

In the 2021-22 season, Lillard struggled with injury and only played 29 games and the team failed to make the playoffs. Last season, he came back strongly but the Blazers once again had a poor season and did not seal a playoff spot.

The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard had a strong season last year averaging 32.2 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game. He also returned to the All-Star team with his impressive performances. At 33, Dame is showing no signs of slowing down. He recently made it clear to his skeptics that he is not slowing down and that he will continue to be the same even when he is 38 years old.

Similarly, even though it was a disappointing end to last season, it was also the first time Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged over 30 points in his career. After averaging 29.9 points in the 2021-22 season, he averaged 31.1 points last season. However, it should not be a surprise to anyone. He has been consistently improving every season, and at 28, it is safe to say that the Greek Freak is entering his prime.

Imagine what a prime Giannis could do to the league considering he won two straight MVPs at the beginning of his prime. So it is going to be scary for the league. Add Lillard to the mix, and it could get out of hand. After having the ball in their hands most of the time as lone superstars, the duo will need to adjust to sharing it. Since they both have to share the ball, their scoring numbers could take a hit. However, the Bucks now have two players who are more than capable of making clutch shots.

Furthermore, their styles easily complement each other. Both are incredibly effective in transition as well. While Giannis is unstoppable going coast to coast, Dame could pull up from deep. Both players could free up each other as teams scramble to guard. Also, the pick-and-roll game between the two would prove to be a nightmare for opponents to match up. Furthermore, it won’t be easy for teams to double-team them which could give away an easy bucket.

But it won’t be an easy ride given the strengths of other super teams in the league. However, if the duo and the Bucks can have a healthy season, they have everything they need to challenge for the ring and emulate the success of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson.

Editorial Disclaimer:?The?views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.

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