Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his 29th birthday on Wednesday in Las Vegas with balloons, cake and a serenade from his team.
The entire Bucks team gathered on the T-Mobile Arena court to sing happy birthday to Antetokounmpo.
It is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s birthday. pic.twitter.com/85D3O4D8ej
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) December 6, 2023
The Bucks are in Las Vegas and getting ready to compete in the semifinals of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament on Thursday against the Indiana Pacers.
Antetokounmpo offers advice on his birthday
Antetokounmpo offered advice to his followers at X. “Life goes fast man. Enjoy life!” he said.
“Spend time with your loved ones, smile more, be happy, be humble, be hungry, be you. Enjoy life!”
Thank you for all the calls, messages and the cake
MORE LIFE!!!! pic.twitter.com/boOCRdQmS7
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) December 7, 2023
The Greek Freak said one of his best birthday memories was last year when he spent it with most of his family in Milwaukee because usually “everybody is all over the place.” However, he said he had two families — one being his real family and the other his NBA family.
“I chose to celebrate my birthday with you guys,” he said as he put on a green visor he found on his chair decorated with birthday balloons in the press conference room.
Giannis got surprised for his birthday at the Bucks’ In-Season Tournament Semifinals press conference
Bucks-Pacers | Thursday | 5pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/QLxUV7oVgN
— NBA (@NBA) December 6, 2023
If the Bucks beat the Pacers on Thursday, they will face either the Lakers or Pelicans during Saturday’s championship game. He said he does want to win, but he is also not going to let anything ruin this trip.
“At the end of the day, it’s a great experience. It’s something that I’ve never gone through before. I try to soak it in as much as I can, enjoy the moment as much as I can. Enjoy the game,” he said about where and how he is spending his birthday week.
“Whatever the outcome is, I know that I’ll leave this place with a great experience. I had my birthday in Vegas, that’s what I’m going to tell my kids one day, ‘My 29th birthday was in Vegas.’”
Antetokounmpo one of the most decorated players in NBA history
The 2023-24 season has been particularly stellar for Antetokounmpo. He’s dominating the court with an average of 30.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. Moreover, his shooting accuracy is remarkable, with a career-high field goal percentage of 61.1 percent.
These statistics are not mere numbers but reflections of his growth as a player and his increasing impact on the game.
One of the most decorated players in NBA history, Athens-born Antetokounmpo won consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26.
Along with his MVP award, he was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, becoming only the third player after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994) to win both awards in the same season.
In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP. The same year, he was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.