On Sunday night, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA Finals game since 1974. Back then, the price for a postage stamp was 10 cents, and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn't be born for another 20 years.
Antetokounmpo's arrival was well worth the wait to fans. We're seeing an all-time great player flourish before our very eyes, and on the biggest of stages. For the second consecutive game, Antetokounmpo was the best player on the floor by leaps and bounds, and that might not even be putting his performances into proper perspective.
In Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Antetokounmpo scored 41 points -- 20 more than anyone else -- and he now has multiple Finals games in which he's scored 40-plus. The late great Kobe Bryant, in 37 career Finals games, never scored more than 40 points. Antetokounmpo has already done it twice, and in just three games.
Suns star guard Devin Booker entered Game 3 averaging 29 points in the Finals, and Phoenix's other star player, veteran floor general Chris Paul, entered averaging 28 points. Antetokounmpo outscored both of the Suns' stars by 12 points, and through his first three Finals games, he's put up more points than Michael Jordan did in his first three Finals games. Keep in mind that Jordan was a five-time scoring champion before he ever played a single Finals game.
Antetokounmpo didn't just put the ball in the basket at a historically high rate. He did a little bit of everything, and he did it really well. If you remove Paul from the equation, Antetokounmpo finished with more assists (6) than the other four Suns starters combined (5). He got his teammates involved early and often, and had four assists in the first quarter. Antetokounmpo also recorded 13 rebounds, and now has multiple games of 40-plus points on over 60-percent shooting with at least 12 boards. Only one other player in the history of the NBA Finals has had multiple games like this, and that's Shaquille O'Neal. Five other players have accomplished this Finals feat once, and they are Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Charles Barkley. That’s pretty elite company.
When professional athletes struggle, some tend to lose confidence in whatever their barrier may be. We know that Antetokounmpo's lack of free-throw efficiency has plagued him this postseason. We're well aware that during these playoffs, opposing fans have taken great joy in jeering him, counting down his free throw clock every time he's at the line. The scene often sounds like a rock concert -- that's how loud fans' countdowns have been. But, instead of shrinking and avoiding contact, Antetokounmpo has embraced his struggles, and never allowed it to impact his aggressiveness or lack thereof. Last night, he attempted more free throws than the entire Suns team combined, finishing 13-for-17.
Antetokounmpo and great numbers go together like peanut butter and jelly. We know what to expect from him every single game. What's more impressive than historically great stats, however, is Antetokounmpo's humility, and perspective of the game. During the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, he had no problem admitting to reporters that the best player on the planet was his opponent, in Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant. On Sunday night, Antetokounmpo was compared to Jordan, and without hesitation, he shot that down and said in no way, shape, or form is he Jordan. When the media continued to offer Antetokounmpo his "flowers" for how he's played so far in the Finals, he brought the discussion back to his teammates' strong play. This is the same guy who takes great pride in having Kris Middleton as the team's closer.
Antetokounmpo is truly a "what's best for the team" kind of player. It's not just about his words, it's about his actions. That's what makes him all the more special. His Finals performances are putting him in rarefied air. Nobody is questioning whether his greatness will continue for the rest of the series. The only question truly remaining for the Bucks is, will they find a way to win three more games and hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time in over 50 years? Well, when you have Antetokounmpo, anything is possible.
CBS Sports Radio producer David Shepard is a former ESPN researcher, a former Division I college basketball practice player, and the host of The Good Shepard YouTube channel. Follow him on Twitter @TheGoodShepard_.