On this day in 2013, Milwaukee Bucks supporters were in for a treat as Giannis Antetokounmpo made his NBA debut against the New York Knicks. The 19-year-old, who the Bucks selected 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, had a very little debut. Milwaukee’s 90-83 loss to New York included Giannis playing for less than five minutes. The rest of the league had no idea that that taste of action would kindle the fire and produce one of the greatest players in the history of the game.

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Tepid debut 

Since making his debut, Giannis has developed into a premier player who is a versatile player. Having been voted an All-Star six times and the league’s Most Valuable Player twice, he is currently guiding the Bucks in their unbeaten 2022–2023 campaign. But compared to the superstar he is today, his Association debut was extremely different.

In his meagre 4:43 of playing time against the Knicks, Giannis managed just one score on 1-of-2 free throw shooting. He finished with a +/- of -1 after committing two fouls and a turnover. Nevertheless, the Greek Freak quickly adapted to the NBA game. During the 2013 season, he gradually started to establish himself as one of Milwaukee’s rising stars as he grew accustomed to the subtleties of the league.

Giannis’ ascent to stardomWith less than 25 minutes of play, he averaged 6.8 points per game at the conclusion of his rookie campaign. In his second season, Giannis’ output and minutes played both significantly increased. In 31 minutes of play, he averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Based on his statistics of 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game in his fourth season, he was named the Most Improved Player. Shortly after, he won back-to-back MVP awards in the league, and in 2021, when the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games, he led them to the NBA championship....