ATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 07: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of Team James celebrates a basket against Team Durant during the second half in the 70th NBA All-Star Game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Giannis Antetokounmpo took home MVP honors on a perfect night during the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is already a superstar in the NBA. He proved why once again Sunday night as the star on Team LeBron in the 2021 NBA All-Star Game.
Antetokounmpo put up some truly mind-boggling numbers in the big win. He finished with 35 points on a perfect 16-of-16 mark from the floor in only 19 minutes of action. That made him the obvious choice for the game’s MVP, and it was only a formality for Adam Silver to announce the decision.
Giannis Antetokounmpo takes home All-Star Game MVP honors
Antetokounmpo was on pace for an ever greater record-setting night if Team Durant had made it a close game. But Team LeBron dominated early and often and Antetokounmpo was a huge reason why.
The Milwaukee Bucks star led all scorers with 35 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from deep. His Team LeBron teammate Damian Lillard was second on the night with 32 points.
Of course, Team Durant played without captain Kevin Durant because of an injury. And aside from a 60-point second quarter for Team LeBron, Durant’s squad did keep it close. Ultimately though, Team LeBron emerged with a 170-150 victory.
Both Durant and LeBron James drafted their teams and it is clear the Los Angeles Lakers star had the better picks. Antetokounmpo took home the MVP, while teammate Stephen Curry went 8-for-16 from 3-point range and had 28 points in only 22 minutes. Jaylen Brown even added 22 points off the bench.
Antetokounmpo is only 26 years old and continues to win awards. He is the two-time reigning NBA MVP and now adds an All-Star Game MVP honor to his trophy case. The one thing still eluding him is a championship ring, but fans in Milwaukee may be thinking he is only beginning to hit his peak.