StaTuesday: Giannis in rare company on 22nd birthday
Giannis Antetkounmpo turned 22 years old Tuesday. Needless to say, he's done things few in NBA history have at his age.
Few players have put up the numbers the Milwaukee Bucks big man has before their 22nd birthday. And this despite his slow indoctrination into the NBA -- as a rookie Antetokounmpo averaged 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 blocks in 24.6 minutes per game.
As "The Greek Freak" hits 22, he is averaging 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in his NBA career. He's increased all of those season averages (plus steals and field-goal percentage) each year he's been in the league.
| Player | Games | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracy McGrady | 269 | 29.1 | 15.6 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 1.5 |
| Giannis Antetounmpo | 257 | 30.8 | 13.0 | 6.5 | 3.2 | 1.2 |
| Alvan Adams | 80 | 33.2 | 19.0 | 9.1 | 5.6 | 1.5 |
| Chris Webber | 130 | 34.6 | 18.6 | 9.3 | 4.1 | 1.9 |
| Kevin Garnett | 239 | 35.6 | 15.3 | 8.0 | 3.1 | 1.9 |
| Lamar Odom | 152 | 36.9 | 16.9 | 7.8 | 4.7 | 1.4 |
Only five other players in NBA history have averaged at least 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocks by the time they turned 22.
Of those five, only one averaged as few minutes as Antetokounmpo in establishing that feat.
Not surprisingly, all five enjoyed long careers, from 12 seasons (Odom, whose career was cut short by off-court issues) to 21 (Garnett).In case you're wondering how Antetokounmpo's career might end up, here's how those five did in their time in the NBA.
| Player | Games | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | BPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracy McGrady | 938 | 32.7 | 19.6 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 0.9 |
| Kevin Garnett | 1462 | 34.5 | 17.8 | 10.0 | 3.7 | 1.4 |
| Lamar Odom | 961 | 33.4 | 13.3 | 8.4 | 3.7 | 0.9 |
| Chris Webber | 831 | 37.1 | 20.7 | 9.8 | 4.2 | 1.4 |
| Alvan Adams | 988 | 27.5 | 14.1 | 7.0 | 4.1 | 0.8 |
Of course, Antetokounmpo is a unique player -- the first point-center? -- but you have to like the tract he's on.
Not to mention the fact he's signed with the Bucks through 2021, when he'll be just 25.
Statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com Play Index
