Milwaukee Bucks: 5 goals for Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2017-18
3. Lead the Eastern Conference in All-Star voting
Last season Giannis Antetokounmpo finished second among Eastern Conference forwards in All-Star voting, bringing in 1.6 million votes. This was no empty vote, as his numbers and profile backed it up. At the end of the year, Antetokounmpo was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
This season there is added verve to finishing higher in the All-Star voting. The top vote-getter in each conference will become a captain who then turns around and hand-picks a team from his fellow All-Stars.
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LeBron James has been the Eastern Conference vote-leader for the last five years, and is the early favorite to once again lead the conference in votes. As the best player on the best team, and the league’s most popular star, it’s a long shot that someone could pass him.
But that doesn’t mean Giannis Antetokounmpo can’t do so, and there are a number of factors in his favor. Although James finished first overall among all players, he also was less than 300,000 votes above Antetokounmpo. Many NBA fans are turned off to James for his departure from Cleveland, and perhaps his potential second departure next summer. No one has a problem with Antetokounmpo outside of spelling his name.
He also has the weight of the international community behind him, albeit one that also adores James. But if he and his supporters can mobilize Greece to propel one of their own to the top, it is possible he can continue his rise in popularity right to the top of the voting. If that is the case, then he and Lonzo Ball will face off in picking teams during All-Star weekend.