"I have never seen anybody that just showed up and they gave you a championship. You have to earn it!” - Giannis Antetokounmpo sees the Milwaukee Bucks as a serious title contender

For the Greek Freak, the Milwaukee Bucks can win it all, but nothing will be easy.

As the competition winds down to its crucial stretch, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed confidence that the Milwaukee Bucks are going to be one of just a few teams that have a clear shot at the title.

Battle at the top

In Antetokounmpo's analysis, the battle for the crown all boils down to four to six teams every season.

And for this year, the Greek Freak sees Milwaukee as a legit title contender.

"Obviously, every year, it's probably like four teams [that can win]," Antetokounmpo said during All-Star Weekend. "This year, it's probably four to six teams that have a chance to win a championship. I believe we are one of them. But nothing is guaranteed," Antetokounmpo said during the All-Star Weekend.

The Bucks have indeed shown a lot of promise this season, coming out of the All-Star break with a 41-17 record, just a half-game behind the 42-17 Boston Celtics.

Dealing with injuries

In commendable effort, the Bucks have been able to keep within a step with the defending Eastern Conference champions Celtics even if they had to deal with various injuries to their key players.

Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton missed a considerable amount of games due to injuries. Bobby Portis Jr. went down with a foot injury just as Middleton and Antetokounmpo returned from long layoffs.

The Bucks could be more dangerous once Portis returns and new recruit Jae Crowder starts seeing action. Milwaukee's remaining assignment will feature six back-to-backs, as two of them are part of a stretch of five games in seven days.

Antetokounmpo is aware nothing will be easy if they are to duplicate their championship run in 2021.

"I have never seen anybody that just showed up, and they gave you a championship. You have to earn it," the two-time MVP said.