Perhaps the brightest young star in the NBA, while Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to take individual strides, his Milwaukee Bucks remain a middling Eastern Conference playoff team.
Milwaukee hasn’t advanced past the first round of the NBA Playoffs in 17 years and that trend continued this season after they were bounced against the Boston Celtics. In search of answers, Antetokounmpo plans to reach out to none other than Kobe Bryant for some much-needed advice. According to USAToday’s Matt Velasquez, Antetokounmpo said he wants to get Kobe’s help on a few things including his footwork and mentality:
When it comes to getting that work in, Antetokounmpo still hopes he’ll be able to spend some time with former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. It’s something Antetokounmpo has been talking about since February.
“Hopefully, get in touch with Kobe and get a few days just to work on my footwork, my mentality,” he said. “What he thinks I could do better. Watch some clips with him, some plays with him. That would be great. If I have the opportunity to do that, that’d be a really great thing I think would help me get to the next level.”
One of the most savvy and mentally resilient players in NBA history, Kobe Bryant has plenty to offer younger stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo. The versatile forward has all the requisite skill to lead his team deep into the postseason, now it’s just about putting it all together.
Antetokounmpo’s franchise didn’t do him any favors this season either, as a midseason head coaching change paired with some roster turnover usually isn’t a recipe for playoff success.
With Kobe’s assistance, maybe Antetokunmpo can add that killer mentality to his naturally laid-back personality and that propels the Bucks into the East’s elite next season.
