NBA ALL STAR

March 7, 2021

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Team LeBron

Press Conference

Team LeBron 170, Team Durant 150

Q. Just how much does this award mean to you? I just think of the name Kobe Bryant on the award, I think about how much he meant to you and just kind of what this award can mean, so what does it mean to you?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Obviously, I'm extremely happy at just having the award with the name of Kobe Bryant in my house. It's a great feeling. I wanted to win the one last year really bad and I had a chance to win because I felt like I wanted to have the trophy in my house, but this year I wasn't even thinking about winning it, I was just thinking about having fun, and I had the opportunity to play well.

My team played great and I was able to just win it and to have the trophy with the name of Kobe Bryant, it's amazing, and I know he would be happy. Yeah, I know he'd be happy.

Q. We got to watch you walk in and you have that gold chain on with the pendant of your dad. You see Liam at the end and kind of wave to him. It just feels like you're playing with so much joy and you're trying to stay in the moment this season. What does all of that kind of mean, to have your dad on your neck and have Liam there for you for this moment?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: You know, it's a great feeling having Liam come watch me play this first All-Star Game, being able to play good. It's amazing. But at the end of the day I just want Liam to see somebody that's having fun, somebody that plays with joy, enjoy what he does. I didn't care about the outcome, but that's what I wanted him to see. That's what I wanted him to grow into.

Always with the chain, wherever I go, I always have my dad. He was at my first All-Star Game physically, but he's always with me. The four other games after that, he was always with me, and always try to represent him.

Q. I know you've been working on a lot of parts of your game. What did it mean that the highlights are of walk-up threes and a step-back three from you tonight?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Hey, man, I'm trying to do this back home, too, but they're not letting me. So, you guys got to put the word in and tell them to let me shoot more threes. No, I'm joking.

I was just having fun. Sometimes when you're not having fun you're not thinking about the outcome, it just happens. I just let my instinct take over. Obviously, I've been working on it a lot over the summer, but I haven't used it as much in the season, but it's something I feel like I can do it. Today was like a game that did not count, so okay, I'll try it. It worked out.

Q. I know you're a student of the game. Not many players have a regular season MVP, an All-Star MVP. Obviously, there's a third one you could potentially win at some point. What does it mean that you sort of added another level to your game that just not many people in the game history have these things?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: It's an unbelievable feeling. Like you've seen I love the history of the game. I love learning stuff about the game. You see players like that have had this trophy in the past, just being one of them, it's an amazing feeling. I've got to keep working hard and I've got to keep enjoying the game of basketball, and hopefully more important things can come, and hopefully my goal is to be a champion one day. Hopefully we can hold the big trophy.

Q. I think it's been a theme all season, you're just trying to have fun and how happy you are. How do you think playing with joy has helped you both in an All-Star Game and in a real game?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: You know, like once you start having joy and you don't worry about the outcome of the game, everything takes care of itself. I believe fear and fun cannot go together. It's either one or the other. This year I've chose for it to be fun. Every game I step on the floor, fun. Pregame, fun. With my teammates, fun. I want to have around my team, fun, energy.

Not worrying about the outcome, not worrying about where we're trying to get. Worried about now, can we enjoy this one. As long as we come to the arena and we come to work and we're enjoying each other and what we do, it's going to take care of itself. I really believe this. Not only do I say this, I apply it in my life, and it's been working.

I hope I can apply this the years I played before this year, but I enjoy it. I enjoy the game of basketball. I just enjoy being in the moment and just taking as much from it as I can.

Q. On the last three, the announcers were like, no, no, no, don't shoot it, and then you made it and they were like yes, yes, yes. How mindful were you that you hadn't missed a shot all night and was that in your mind at all?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: It actually wasn't. I was just trying to just play. When you're around guys like Dame and Steph and Chris Paul, it's just easy. Nobody is worrying about me. I'm just playing one-on-one, nobody is double-teaming. If you feel good, then I feel good that it will be good. I just get up and have fun and just try to get as many shots as I can.

Q. Did you feel the way you're playing and fighting in the All-Star Games is giving an example to your teammates and to every other NBA player?

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I'm just trying to just play hard, enjoy the moment and just play hard. I had a conversation with Chris Paul during the first quarter and he said like, we've got to win this. He was like, I love the way you play in the All-Star Game because you actually come to play and you're not just walking out there and all that. I told him, look, Chris, I'm going to enjoy the game.

Obviously, I want to play hard. That's my -- it's like ego, I don't know. That's how I'm built. If other players can take that as an example, okay. If not, great. I'm just being me. I love being me.

Q. This is your fifth All-Star Game now, and it feels like it's gone so quickly. I'm just wondering as one of the experienced players that's been there year after year, how has the experience changed? How do you approach it? I saw you and Nikola Jokic were having a lot of fun with each other.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Oh, man, I was like Niko, we've got to have our own TV show. Niko and Giannis or Giannis and Niko, whatever. That guy, he's fun. I enjoy being around him.

But it goes by fast. It's my fifth All-Star Game, and I can't wait to go out there and get to like my 10th. Like you see LeBron has 17 of them. It's insane. As I said, try to enjoy every All-Star Game as much as possible. You can never take these games for granted. You're among the best 24 players in the world. It's just fun to be around them, and it's fun to learn from them.