Bucks Zone

On this day in 2013: Giannis Antetokounmpo makes his debut for the Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis’ NBA debut was far from impressive

Matthew Dugandzic

© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks fans were in for a treat on this day in 2013, as this was the day Giannis Antetokounmpo made his NBA debut against the New York Knicks. It was a negligible debut for the then-19-year-old who was picked 15th overall by the Bucks in the 2013 NBA Draft. Giannis played under five minutes in Milwaukee's 90-83 loss to New York. Little did the rest of the league know that taste of action would light the fire that would result in one of the best players in the world today.

Tepid debut

Giannis has come a long way since his debut, evolving into an elite player who can do it all on the court. He's been named the league's Most Valuable Player twice and All-Star six times and is leading the Bucks' undefeated campaign early in the 2022-2023 season. However, his very first game in the Association was quite a contrast to the superstar he is today.

Against the Knicks, Giannis only saw 4:43 minutes of action and finished with one point on 1-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe. He also committed two fouls and a turnover, ending the game with +/- of -1. However, it didn't take long for the Greek Freak to adjust to the NBA game. He began getting used to the nuances of the league and slowly began to assert himself as one of Milwaukee's rising stars during the 2013 season.

Giannis' rise to fame

He ended his rookie season averaging 6.8 points per game with under 25 minutes of action. Giannis saw a significant uptick in minutes played and production in his second season. He averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 31 minutes of action. His fourth season saw him win the Most Improved Player award based on his averages of 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. Not long after, he was named the league's MVP on back-to-back seasons before leading the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021 after defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.