Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Giannis Antetokounmpo: Who Is the Best Milwaukee Bucks Star Ever?

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo are two of the best players the league has ever seen. Both stars have led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship. After his first ring in 2021, Antetokounmpo is on the hunt for his second with the Bucks. Recently, Giannis passed Abdul-Jabbar for the most games with 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in Bucks history.

While the Hall of Famer had 106 such games, the Greek Freak recently had his 107th such game for the franchise. But has Giannis already overtaken Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest Bucks player ever?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s legendary time with the Bucks

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career took to new heights with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite this, he is still one of the best Bucks players ever, if not the best. That was how great Abdul-Jabbar was. The Hall of Famer was one of the most hyped young stars ever before his entry into the league. Many believed that the former center had what it takes to change the fate of any franchise.

So, for a new team like the Bucks, there weren’t any doubts about who they had to draft with their top pick. In the 1969 NBA draft, the Bucks selected Abdul-Jabbar as the #1 pick. As expected, he hit the ground running and took the league by storm.

During his rookie season, Kareem averaged 28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game to win the Rookie of the Year award. After a poor 27-55 record in the previous season, the Bucks had an improved 56-26 with his help.

In just his sophomore year, Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP award averaging 31.7 points, 16 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as per Basketball Reference. He topped it off by leading the Bucks to their first-ever title by sweeping the Washington Bullets 4-0 in the Finals.

When many thought he could not get any better, the former center proved them wrong with another monstrous season. In his third year in the league, he averaged 34.8 points, 16.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists to win his second straight MVP title.

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Despite his dominant performances, the Bucks were eliminated in the Conference Finals by the Lakers. In the next year, he once again averaged over 30 points and came second in the MVP race. But the team could not move past the first round.

Next year, Abdul-Jabbar came back strong and won his third MVP averaging 27 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.5 blocks per game. He also led the Bucks to the Finals. In a closely contested series, the Boston Celtics won the championship 3-4 despite Abdul-Jabbar’s valiant efforts. After another season averaging 30 points per game, the Hall of Famer joined the Lakers in 1975.

Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Bucks so far

Unlike Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Giannis Antetokounmpo did not have much spotlight on him when he entered the league. As an 18-year-old player from Greece, some were not even aware of him. However, there was some buzz around the young star because of his impressive physical tools and highlight reel.

Representatives from various teams traveled to Greece to scout Antetokounmpo and were impressed with his massive potential. However, he was not considered a sure-shot success in the NBA. Also, it was clear that he would need some time to develop. Ultimately, it was the Bucks who were ready to take the gamble.

The Bucks selected Giannis as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Despite the high ceiling, many were still skeptical about his build. In his rookie season, the forward started 23 of 77 games and averaged 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. He showed promise with his overall gameplay. In the next year, he started almost every game and averaged over 10 points for the first time in his career. He featured in the Dunk Contest that year as well.

At 22, Giannis came back a man in his third year in the league. He put on some muscle and the difference from the previous season was glaringly evident. The added strength helped him massively. He averaged 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists to earn his first All-Star call-up. With this, he became the best player on the team.

Giannis continued his ascension in the years that followed. However, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round for two straight years. In the 2018-19 season, Antetokounmpo became one of the best players in the league. He was dominant and was almost unstoppable at times. Ultimately, he won the MVP award averaging 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. He also led the Bucks to the Conference Finals that season for the first time in 18 years.

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However, the eventual champions Toronto Raptors eliminated them. In the next season, Giannis once again dominated and won his second straight MVP title. However, the team could not move past the second round. In the 2020-21 season, Giannis was once again one of the best players in the league. Still, he could not win his third straight MVP title and finished fourth in the race.

But he had his eyes set on the bigger prize. That year, he led the Bucks to their first title in 50 years after Abdul-Jabbar clinched it in 1971. Despite his brilliant displays in the next two seasons, the team could not make a deep playoff run. Injuries in crucial junctures did not help him as well.

Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?

During his six years in Milwaukee, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made the All-Star team every year and won three MVPs. Also, he led the team in points and rebounds every year. The league started tracking blocks and steals only in 1973. During those two seasons where blocks were tracked, he led the team in blocks as well. Notably, in some seasons, Abdul-Jabbar averaged twice the amount of points and rebounds than the second-best player in that category for the Bucks.

After three years of development, Giannis Antetokounmpo made the All-Star every year for seven straight seasons. Similar to Abdul-Jabbar, Antetokounmpo led the team in points and rebounds in all seven years. Again, similar to the Hall of Famer, the forward had twice as many points and rebounds as the second-best player in that category in some seasons. Furthermore, even though he is not given enough credit for his passing, he led the Bucks in assists on multiple occasions as well showing his incredible versatility.

While Abdul-Jabbar left the Bucks after six years, Antetokounmpo is in his 11th season in Milwaukee. He has reciprocated the trust shown in him by the organization by sticking to them despite rumors of him leaving. His longevity with the team has made him the franchise leader in many categories. He leads the organization in games (734), points (16,725), assists (5793), blocks (923), and so on.

Despite not being in the top 10 for games for the Bucks, Abdul-Jabbar is still second in points (14,211), first in rebounds (7161), 2-point field goals (5902), etc. That was how efficient he was despite his short stay. However, Giannis is not far in these categories as well and will take the top spot in no time. Also, he has the most triple-doubles with 35 while second-placed Abdul-Jabbar has 8.

Considering that Giannis leads the franchise in multiple categories, along with his overall commitment to the team, makes Antetokounmpo the greatest Bucks player ever.

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