By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo, beginning his fourth season with the Milwaukee Bucks, was named the NBA’s top international player in the annual preseason survey of the league’s General Managers.
21-year-old Antetokounmpo signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension last month, the richest contract in Bucks‘ history.
“Oh, my God,” Antetokounmpo said, as mentioned on Journal Sentinel. “Do I get a trophy or something? I feel like I’ve got to work more. Being above Dirk and Marc Gasol and Pau Gasol, they’re really good players. So I’ve got to show on the court – the GMs that voted me – that I deserve it. I’m really happy.”
His coach, Jason Kidd wasn’t too surprised: “That’s a great honor because the names just mentioned are all very talented and all could be that player. That’s a great compliment to him and what he’s done, working on his game and getting better. Now it’s not just to stop there as the best international player, but hopefully one day to be one of the best players in the world. Nothing surprises me in this league. It just shows how hard he’s working and the way he’s perceived in this league, how GMs think about him.”