Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the recipient of the 2021 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award after the Bucks' championship-clinching 105-98 win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 on Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo put forth an all-time performance in the Bucks' victory, dropping a playoff career-high 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in 42 minutes.
The "Greek Freak" was also surprisingly efficient from the charity stripe, connecting on 17 of 19 free-throw attempts despite entering Game 6 shooting just 55.6% on postseason free throws.
He's the seventh player in Finals history to record a 50-point game and the first to score 50 in a Finals closeout game since Bob Pettit in 1958.
The Bucks star joins Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Finals MVP, and All-Star Game MVP in their careers, according to Fox Sports' Yaron Weitzman.
Antetokounmpo was unanimously voted Finals MVP by 11 media members after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game through the series.
The 26-year-old is the fifth international player to win the award, joining Dirk Nowitzki (2011), Tony Parker (2007), Tim Duncan (1999, 2003, 2005), and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994, 1995).
