From Most Improved Player to Finals MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo has amassed a heap of hardware during his Milwaukee Bucks career. Despite being overshadowed by Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the past two regular season MVP races, he remains a perennial contender and top three player in the league. Awards odds are already up for 2025-26, and Giannis predictably appears in a multitude of markets.
Antetokounmpo’s toolshed of trophies
In his 12-year career, Giannis, a nine-time All-Star, has already been recognized with a variety of honors:
Most Improved Player, 2017
Most Valuable Player, 2019 & 2020
Defensive Player of the Year, 2020
All-Star MVP, 2021; Finals MVP, 2021; NBA Cup MVP, 2025.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks, MVP
Jul 22, 2021; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) holds his NBA Finals MVP Trophy during the Milwaukee Bucks victory parade. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
He was also named to the NBA 75th anniversary team in 2022, in which voters selected the top 75 players of All-Time. And:
All-NBA 1st Team each of the past seven seasons
All-Defense 1st Team four times (2019-2022)
All-NBA 2nd Team twice, All-Defense 2nd Team once; All-Rookie 2nd Team.
He has finished top four in MVP voting for the past five years.
The list goes on and on: 11 Player of the Month Awards, 27-time Player of the Week...ad infinitum.
2025-26 Awards Odds
As long as Jokic and SGA are in their primes, Giannis will face an uphill battle against two of the NBA’s advanced metrics darlings. The new 65-game eligibility threshold also restricts his chances, as he has reached that benchmark only three times in the past six years. The way this season’s roster is constructed, though, revolving completely around point-Giannis with no other All-Stars, he may have a better shot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Apr 10, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) passes the ball away from New Orleans Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic (17) in the second quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
In addition to traditional awards like MVP, he’s also nosed his way into the leaderboards for more niche awards. From lowest odds to highest, per Bovada Sportsbook:
MVP +1000
Eastern Conference Finals MVP +2000
Clutch Player of the Year +2500
NBA Cup MVP +2500
Finals MVP +5500
DPOY +6000.
Not many people are high on Milwaukee’s playoff chances, but if the Bucks advance as far as Conference Finals glory, Giannis would be all but a lock. Myles Turner is the next-best player on the roster. There’s no Damian Lillard or prime Khris Middleton to back him up. No one else has a chance.
Apr 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) defends during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Apr 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker (5) defends during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Realistically, though, regular season MVP is the only award that makes sense, and realistically, a 10-1 price isn’t long enough. Listed at those odds as late as January last season, Giannis swiftly plummeted as SGA’s odds grew shorter and shorter in a two-man competition with Jokic.
We’ll see. Were Antetokounmpo to capture his third trophy, he would join former Buck Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, who claimed six, among the nine current greats to win three times or more.
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