In both 2019 and 2020, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Doc Rivers thinks that voters are sick of the Milwaukee Bucks franchise player, even if he has shown to be one of the greatest in the game. He explained his reasoning with the help of Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.
I don’t even want to get into it, but there’s been guys that you get tired of voting for,” Rivers told reporters, per The Athletic’s Eric Nehm on March 2. “Michael [Jordan] may be the poster child of that. And Giannis seems to be in that category where you’re so good, everything you do is taken for granted. When you just look at his numbers, they’re incredible, and yet, you never hear his name. It’s unbelievable, but that’s a sign of respect more than disrespect in some ways.”
Throughout his NBA career, Jordan was a five-time MVP, winning in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998. He infamously lost the award to Karl Malone in 1997. When Malone won, there was an outrage since many believed Malone won over Jordan primarily because of voter fatigue.
The injury to meniscus that sidelined MVP Joel Embiid made Antetokounmpo’s path to victory easier. He will still face competition for the prize, though, from Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic, among others.
Doc Rivers Offers a Khris Middleton Update
The Bucks’ last game featuring Khris Middleton was on February 6. The Bucks have won five straight games while he hasn’t been around. On March 3, Doc Rivers gave Nehm an update on Middleton. According to Nehm’s X account, Rivers informed Nehm that Middleton “went a little, not a lot” and that he is “pretty doubtful” against the Clippers on March 4.
“I stay out of it. Funny enough, Khris mentioned that too—I didn’t even have to ask. I avoid interacting with people in the training room. Simply said, I believe it’s a terrible place for a coach to work. Hence, I am never—I don’t think I’ve ever asked someone if they were planning to play tomorrow. I remain silent. They visit and inform me. I hope and pray that they are far more knowledgeable than me when it comes to the health aspect of it.
