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Bulls

The NBA released the remaining 25 players of the league's 75th anniversary team Thursday night on TNT.
Here is the official release from the NBA, which lists all 75 players that made the team and the people that voted on the NBA's top 75 players of all-time team:
"A total of 158 NBA championships and 730 NBA All-Star selections. &nbsp;A combined 110 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Awards. &nbsp;More than 1.5 million points scored.
Those are just some of the collective accomplishments of the players who comprise the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which was announced across TNT and ESPN from Oct. 19-21 as the league tipped off its landmark 75th Anniversary Season.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters. &nbsp;Voters were asked to select the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History without regard to position. &nbsp;Panelists did not rank their selections. &nbsp;Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.
As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th Anniversary Team features 76 players. &nbsp;Team highlights include:
&bull; Eleven active players have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
&bull; All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.
&bull; The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).
&bull; Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team. (The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.)
&bull; Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).
&bull; The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson. Representing different eras of the league&rsquo;s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team is listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the list of voters. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP. &nbsp;For player profiles on each member of the 75th Anniversary Team, click here and visit NBA.com/75."
<table style="width: 95.7926%; height: 464px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 27px;">
<td style="text-align: center; width: 149.879%; height: 27px;" colspan="4" width="691">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Damian Lillard</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Scottie Pippen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Ray Allen</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Willis Reed</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Karl Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Oscar Robertson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Carmelo Anthony</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Moses Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Archibald</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Pete Maravich</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dennis Rodman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Arizin</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob McAdoo</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Garnett</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin McHale</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dolph Schayes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Mikan</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Sharman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elgin Baylor</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hal Greer</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Reggie Miller</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Larry Bird</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Havlicek</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Thurmond</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kobe Bryant</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wes Unseld</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wilt Chamberlain</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Allen Iverson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hakeem Olajuwon</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dwyane Wade</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Cousy</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Russell Westbrook</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Gary Payton</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Anthony Davis</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jason Kidd</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dominique Wilkins</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave DeBusschere</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kawhi Leonard</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Pierce</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 97.1703%; height: 798px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 170.677%;" colspan="4" width="719">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM VOTING PANEL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jack McCallum</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Marv Albert</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">David DuPree</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Brian McIntyre</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">David Aldridge</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Wayne Embry</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ann Meyers</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bob Ryan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sam Amick</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Yoko Miyaji</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Simmons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sam Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Aschburner</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Stephen A. Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rachel Nichols</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Marc Spears</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Russ Granik</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Erik Spoelstra</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Howard Beck</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Becky Hammon</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Hannah Storm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sue Bird</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Ernie Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Candace Parker</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sheryl Swoopes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Carol Blazejowski</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Mike Breen</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rod Thorn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doris Burke</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Scottie Pippen</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rudy Tomjanovich</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jerry Colangelo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Steve Kerr</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Gregg Popovich</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Peter Vecsey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doug Collins</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Bob Lanier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaun Powell</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Cynthia Cooper</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Kara Lawson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ahmad Rashad</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rick Welts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Costas</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Lisa Leslie</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Willis Reed</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Nancy Lieberman</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Tim Reynolds</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Michael Wilbon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Zach Lowe</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bill Rhoden</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Pat Riley</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jackie MacMullan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Oscar Robertson</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jeff Zillgitt</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Some notable snubs include Tracy McGrady, Bernard King, Alex English, Vince Carter, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Bob McAdoo, and Pau Gasol to just name a few. This list was part of the NBA's marketing campaign for the league's historic 75th season and will surely spark a conversation/debate amongst NBA fans all over the world.

The NBA released the final 25 players of the 75th anniversary team Thursday on TNT.

Final 25 members of NBA's 75th Anniversary Team announced

ATHENS, Greece (AP) &mdash; Giannis Antetokounmpo definitely had something to declare on his triumphant return to Greece on Sunday.
The NBA star carried the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy with him at Athens International Airport and said he hopes to win more titles with the Milwaukee Bucks.
&ldquo;We are happy to be back and that we could bring the trophy with us,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said at a news conference at the airport.
The 26-year-old &ldquo;Greek Freak&rdquo; sat next to the gleaming NBA championship trophy, along with his NBA Finals MVP award and his brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, 29, who also plays for the Bucks.
&ldquo;We had to go through a long process (to bring the trophy to Greece),&rdquo; Giannis Antetokounmpo said. &ldquo;We don&rsquo;t know how many days we will stay, but we will take it with us to the places we grew up, to Sepolia and Zografou.&rdquo;
Sepolia is the Athens neighborhood where the Antetokounmpo brothers grew up. Zografou is the Athens suburb where Giannis began his basketball career at a local club, Filathlitikos.
Antetokounmpo has always returned to Sepolia, where he has maintained ties with the few people who at the time openly welcomed the children of poor African immigrants from Nigeria. Thanasis and Giannis were born in Greece &mdash; in 1992 and 1994, respectively &mdash; as were their younger brothers, Kostas and Alex, but acceptance as Greeks was not always easy.
The Antetokounmpo brothers plan to return to Sepolia during their current trip to show the trophies to local kids who, like many other Greeks young and old, now idolize them. Especially Giannis.
Antetokounmpo said that event will be for the benefit of children, not the media. He and his brother will also play a little basketball at a local open court, though his opponents shouldn&rsquo;t be too worried.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ll play as long as my knee can carry me ... not very much,&rdquo; Antetokounmpo said, adding that children who want to attend should wear masks.
Asked about his first title, Antetokounmpo said the celebration &ldquo;did not last long. I want to live this again&rdquo; with another title. &ldquo;To continue getting better, stay hungry, stay winning and live such moments with Milwaukee and the Greek national team. This feeling of winning is addictive.&rdquo;
Antetokounmpo added that part of his desire to win is &ldquo;because I&rsquo;m a people pleaser. I want to win for (son) Liam, my mother, my family, my friends, for Greece.
&ldquo;I might win the next title next year, or three years from now. But even if I never win another title in my life, I will still be OK, because that will have been God&rsquo;s plan.&rdquo;
Giannis and Thanasis are not the first Antetokounmpos to win an NBA championship. Younger brother Kostas, 23, did it first with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, although his contribution was limited. Kostas will play next season with French club Villeurbanne.
After a short stay in Greece, Giannis will return to the United States, where his girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger, is expecting their second child later in August.

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to Greece over the weekend, bringing the Larry O'Brien trophy to his childhood home.

Antetokounmpo continues NBA championship celebration in Greece

Make way for something new in the NBA Finals.
Milwaukee hasn&rsquo;t been to the NBA Finals since 1974 and Phoenix hasn&rsquo;t been to the NBA Finals since 1993, two stats that have been repeated so often over the last few days that the Bucks and Suns probably wouldn&rsquo;t mind if they don&rsquo;t hear them again for the next few decades.
But there is a whole lot of new in these NBA Finals. Consider:
&mdash; It&rsquo;s the first time since 1998 that the finals will be played without LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan or Dwyane Wade.
&mdash; It&rsquo;s the first time since 1983 that nobody in the NBA Finals has been, or will be, a teammate of Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal. You read that correctly. Every title series from 1984 through 2020 featured at least one player who had been (or would eventually be) teammates with O&rsquo;Neal, a list that includes names like Greg Kite, John Salley, Byron Scott, Steve Kerr, Leandro Barbosa, Danny Green and Matt Barnes (along with everyone he played with on the 1995 Orlando Magic, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004 Los Angeles Lakers teams, and the 2006 Miami Heat). Though there is one technicality at play here: Phoenix guard Chris Paul and O&rsquo;Neal were All-Star Game teammates.
&mdash; Of the 12 referees working this series, three are in the NBA Finals for the first time. Courtney Kirkland, James Williams and Sean Wright are all set to make their finals debuts, though Wright was an alternate for the 2019 finals.
PAUL&rsquo;S WAIT
Phoenix guard Chris Paul is in his 16th NBA season. This is his first finals.
It is a historic wait.
He has played in 123 playoff games without ever reaching the finals, the third-most in NBA history behind Paul Millsap (129) and Al Horford (124).
And he could join a very small club. Only five players have won their first championship in their 16th season or later; Juwan Howard and Kevin Willis won championships in their 18th seasons (not counting the 1988-89 season that Willis missed), Jason Kidd got the elusive ring in his 17th season, and Dwight Howard and Gary Payton finally got their hands on the Larry O&rsquo;Brien Trophy in their 16th seasons.
CALENDAR ADDITION
Tuesday will mark the first time that an NBA Finals game has been played in July &mdash; which becomes the seventh month in which a title-round matchup will occur.
Other months that have seen finals games: March, April, May, June, September, and October.
JORDAN COMPARISON
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 40 points on 60% shooting in Milwaukee&rsquo;s two games against Phoenix this season. No player had averaged that, and shot that well, against the Suns in a single regular season since 1992-93 &mdash; when Chicago&rsquo;s Michael Jordan averaged 42 points on 60.3% shooting.
The Bulls ended up playing the Suns in that season&rsquo;s finals, too.
DIVISIONS MATTER
Milwaukee won the Central Division and Phoenix won the Pacific Division this season.
That means this will be the 10th consecutive season where a division champion will win the NBA title. The last division non-winner to end up as NBA champions was Dallas in 2011. Every team that made the finals since did so after winning a division crown.
LATE NIGHTS?
NBA Finals games typically start late; most in this series will tip off shortly after 9 p.m. in the Eastern time zone, so they tend to finish around 11:30 p.m.
History says the Suns might go a bit later.
There have been two triple-overtime games in NBA Finals history &mdash; and Phoenix has played in both. They lost to Boston 128-126 on June 4, 1976, and defeated Chicago 129-121 on June 13, 1993.
The NBA has also seen three double-overtime finals games. Milwaukee played in one of those, beating Boston 102-101 on May 10, 1974.
3 OVER 2
A good omen for Milwaukee, perhaps?
Since the NBA went to the current playoff format in 1984, there have been three instances of a No. 3 seed from one conference taking on the No. 2 seed from the other conference in the NBA Finals. (This will be the fourth; Milwaukee was seeded No. 3 in the East, Phoenix No. 2 in the West.)
In all three of the previous 3-versus-2 finals matchups, the No. 3 seed won the NBA title: Detroit over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004, San Antonio over Cleveland in 2007 and Dallas over Miami in 2011.
FINALS FAMILIES
Jrue Holiday doesn&rsquo;t know what it&rsquo;s like to play in the NBA Finals. Same goes for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. In fact, no player in this series &mdash; except for Phoenix&rsquo;s Jae Crowder &mdash; has logged a single second in a finals game.
The Holiday and Antetokounmpo families have a bit of experience in this area, though.
Justin Holiday, Jrue&rsquo;s brother, played in a game with Golden State during the 2015 finals. And Kostas Antetokounmpo &mdash; Giannis&rsquo; and Thanasis&rsquo; brother &mdash; won a ring with the Lakers last season but didn&rsquo;t play in the title series against Miami.
OUT FRONT
One key for both teams in these NBA Finals: Don&rsquo;t let the other team get a double-digit lead.
Milwaukee and Phoenix have been pretty much unbeatable in these playoffs when either club gets a lead of at least 10 points. The Suns are 11-0 in the playoffs in games where they&rsquo;ve had a double-digit lead; the Bucks are 10-1, the loss coming when they let a 17-point lead get away against Brooklyn in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
In the regular season, Milwaukee was 41-9 in games in which it led by at least 10 at some point; Phoenix was 45-10 in such games.
Phoenix&rsquo;s biggest comeback win this season was 16 points, done twice, including once against Milwaukee. The biggest Bucks comeback win was a game in which they trailed by 19 against Philadelphia.
RISING SUNS
If the Suns lead this series at any time, the franchise will have a winning postseason record again for the first time since May 18, 1995 &mdash; when they were 86-85 in their all-time playoff history.
The Suns enter these finals 145-145 in postseason play.
The Bucks haven&rsquo;t had a winning postseason record since May 26, 2001, when they were 96-95. At the end of the 1980 playoffs, when they were 85-84. They&rsquo;re 138-145 all-time in playoff action, meaning they can&rsquo;t get over the .500 mark again in this series.

In addition to how long it's been since the Bucks and Suns have been here, there is a whole lot of new in these NBA Finals.

2021 NBA Finals: 10 things to know about Bucks vs. Suns

Greek forward Kostas Antetokounmpo is really close to sign a 5-year deal with Olympiacos, as reported by FOS Online. The player is said to have accepted the offer put forward by the Euroleague side.
Source: <a href="https://sportando.basketball/en/olympiacos-reportedly-ready-to-sign-kostas-antetokounmpo-to-multi-year-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FOS Online via Sportando</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;Antetokounmpo is playing for the Greek national team this summer. The 23-year-old has played sparingly so far in his short NBA career. After being drafted No. 60 overall in 2018, Antetokounmpo spent one year with the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Los Angeles Lakers, and spent 2020-21 on a two-way contract.

Antetokounmpo was on a two-way contract this season with the Lakers.

Kostas Antetokounmpo reportedly close to 5-year deal with Olympiacos

Reporting with @mcten: Lakers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo is away from the team attending to a personal matter in Greece.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1399120752339828737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: According to ESPN, "Antetokounmpo has not been with the team for the duration of L.A.'s playoff run while in his home country of Greece, sources said. There's no immediate timetable for his return, but there's optimism that he could rejoin the team this postseason should the Lakers advance past the Phoenix Suns in their first-round Western Conference playoff series."

According to ESPN, Lakers forward Kostas Antetokounmpo is away from the team due to personal reasons.

Lakers' Kostas Antetokounmpo away from team due to personal reasons

Anthony Davis scored 34 points, Dennis Schroder added 24 and the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a hard-fought 109-102 win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
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AD comes back with a VENGEANCE in the <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lakers</a> Game 2 win ‼️ 34 PTS 10 REB 7 AST 3 BLK 67.5 FPTS <a href="https://t.co/5BhJIauSH6">pic.twitter.com/5BhJIauSH6</a>
&mdash; NBA Fantasy (@NBAFantasy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAFantasy/status/1397413616509493249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2021</a></blockquote>

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It was a big bounce-back game for the Lakers, and especially Davis, who struggled in Game 1 and took personal responsibility for the team's 99-90 loss on Sunday. His 3-pointer with 2:15 left on Tuesday put Los Angeles up 98-92 and ended a late Suns rally.
LeBron James added 23 points and nine assists. Davis made 18 of 21 free throws and added 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Game 3 is on Thursday in Los Angeles.
The Lakers had a 63-48 lead after a 10-1 run to open the third quarter. James splashed home a 3-pointer to start the scoring and Los Angeles looked like it might put this one away comfortably.
But the Suns slowly clawed their way back. Cam Johnson made two 3-pointers late in the third quarter, including one at the buzzer, to pull Phoenix within 79-72 heading to the fourth.
Jae Crowder made a 3-pointer from the corner and was fouled, converting the free throw for a four-point play that pulled the Suns within 84-83 with 8:09 left in the fourth. Crowder had missed his first 11 3-pointers in the series before that attempt.
Deandre Ayton's dunk off an offensive rebound with six minutes left put the Suns up 88-86, which was their first lead since the opening minutes. But they couldn't hold on, struggling to guard James and Davis in the final minutes.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 31 points and made all 17 of his free throws. Ayton had 22 points, 10 rebounds and shot 11 of 13 from the field.
Los Angeles is physically much bigger than Phoenix with Andre Drummond, Davis, James and Marc Gasol all standing 6-foot-9 or taller and tipping the scales at 250 pounds or more. The only player on the Suns' roster close to the size is Ayton. Unlike Game 1, the Lakers usually took advantage of that difference.
The Lakers jumped out to a 30-24 lead after the first quarter, scoring 12 points off of seven Suns turnovers. Los Angeles took a 53-47 advantage into halftime.
Drummond was a force before the break with 11 points and 10 rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Schroder led all players with 16 points. Ayton had 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting for the Suns.
There was a announced sellout crowd at Phoenix Suns Arena, which was capped at 11,919 because of COVID-19 restrictions. That's about two-thirds of the 18,000-plus capacity.
JUST FOR KICKS
The Suns had to make a quick lineup change when Crowder was called for two early fouls. The second one was painful for the Phoenix forward.
Crowder was whistled for a foul on a Davis jump shot, then he took a shot to the groin when Davis kicked his leg out on the follow through. Davis was called for a Flagrant 1 foul. Crowder remained in the game to shoot the free throws, but was then replaced by Dario Saric.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Forwards Devontae Cacok and Kostas Antetokounmpo were inactive. ... Gasol played 20 minutes after not playing in Game 1. He hit a 3-pointer on his first shot.
Suns: Paul wasn't listed on the Game 2 injury report despite his shoulder issues in Game 1. He played with a thin wrap around much of his right shoulder ... Forward Abdel Nader (knee) was out. ... Cam Payne finished with 19 points and seven assists after getting ejected in Game 1.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Anthony Davis scored 34 points, Dennis Schroder added 24 and the Lakers held on for a hard-fought 109-102 win over the Suns.

Anthony Davis, Lakers bounce back to beat Suns 109-102 in Game 2

This year, there were 107 international players from 41 countries on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 NBA season.

NBA rosters feature 107 international players from 41 countries

Kostas Antetokounmpo has agreed to a second two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Source: <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1332045547314827264" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shams Charania/Twitter</a>
ANALYSIS:&nbsp;The younger brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo enters his third year in the NBA and has previously played on two-way contracts with the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. The 23-year-old has scarcely played at the league's top level, with only 31 total NBA minutes to his name thus far. With the G League's South Bay Lakers, Antetokounmpo averaged 14.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season.

The 23-year-old forward has agreed to his third consecutive two-way contract.

Lakers bring back Kostas Antetokounmpo on two-way deal

The ultimate anguish. The ultimate joy.
This season, for LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, had it all. And it ended in the only fashion that they deemed would be acceptable, with them back atop the basketball world.
For the first time since Kobe Bryant&rsquo;s fifth and final title a decade ago, the Lakers are NBA champions. James had 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 106-93 on Sunday night to win the NBA Finals in six games.
Anthony Davis had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who dealt with the enormous anguish that followed the death of the iconic Bryant in January and all the challenges that came with leaving home for three months to play at Walt Disney World in a bubble designed to keep inhabitants safe from the coronavirus.
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It would be, James predicted, the toughest title to ever win.
They made the clincher look easy. James won his fourth title, doing it with a third different franchise &mdash; and against the Heat franchise that showed him to to become a champion.
Bam Adebayo had 25 points and 10 rebounds for Miami, which got 12 points from Jimmy Butler &mdash; the player who, in his first Heat season, got the team back to title contention. Rajon Rondo scored 19 points for the Lakers.
With that, the league&rsquo;s bubble chapter, put together after a 4 1/2-month suspension of play that started March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic, is over. So, too, is a season that saw the league and China get into political sparring, the death on Jan. 1 of commissioner emeritus David Stern &mdash; the man who did so much to make the league what it is &mdash; and then the shock on Jan. 26 that came with the news that Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other died in a helicopter crash.
The Lakers said they were playing the rest of the season in his memory.
They delivered what Bryant did five times for L.A. &mdash; a ring, and the clincher was emphatic.
Game 6 was over by halftime, the Lakers taking a 64-36 lead into the break. The Heat never led and couldn&rsquo;t shoot from anywhere: 35% from 2-point range in the half, 33% from 3-point range and even an uncharacteristic 42% from the line, not like any of it really mattered. The Lakers were getting everything they wanted and then some, outscoring Miami 36-16 in the second quarter and doing all that with James making just one shot in the period.
Rajon Rondo, now a two-time champion and the first to win rings as a player in both Boston and Los Angeles &mdash; the franchises now tied with 17 titles apiece &mdash; was 6 for 6 in the half, the first time he&rsquo;d done that since November 2007. The Lakers&rsquo; lead was 46-32 with 5:00 left in the half, and they outscored Miami 18-4 from there until intermission.
Ball game. The 28-point halftime lead was the second-biggest in NBA Finals history, topped only by the Celtics leading the Lakers 79-49 on May 27, 1985.
True to form, the Heat &mdash; a No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference that finished with a losing record last season, a team that embraced the challenge of the bubble like none other &mdash; didn&rsquo;t stop playing, not even when the deficit got to 36 in the third quarter.
A 23-8 run by Miami got the Heat to 90-69 with 8:37 left. But the outcome was never in doubt, and before long confetti was blasted into the air as the Lakers&rsquo; celebration formally and officially began.
TIP-INS
Lakers: Davis did not wear the gold-painted sneakers that he had for Game 5; instead, he went with red-and-black ones Sunday. ... Among the ring-winners: Dion Waiters, who began this season with the Heat; 19-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker (he turns 20 Nov. 25) and Kostas Antetokounmpo &mdash; the brother of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Heat: Goran Dragic (torn left plantar fascia) checked in late in the first quarter, his first appearance since Game 1 of the series. ... Jae Crowder had 12 points and Duncan Robinson had 10 for the Heat.
JOIN THE CLUB
John Salley and Robert Horry were, until Sunday, the only players to win championships with three different franchises. James (Miami, Cleveland) and Danny Green (San Antonio, Toronto) added their names to that list with this title.
HEAT SEASON
Miami led the NBA with 94 games played this season &mdash; 30 more than Minnesota, which played the fewest in the NBA. The Heat finished with 1,247 3-pointers this season, including playoffs, 290 more than any other year in team history.
UP NEXT
Nobody knows. The draft is set for Nov. 18, but the dates for the start of free agency, training camps and next season&rsquo;s schedule could be weeks away from being finalized.
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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are back atop the basketball world, winning their 17th championship.

Lakers win 17th NBA championship

Every few years, several NBA stars come together and form a super-team. Obviously, the most-recent example is the Golden State Warriors. By signing Kevin Durant in 2016, the Warriors immediately became the favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy (and it was hard to envision a scenario in which they'd lose). When LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up on the Miami Heat in 2010, there was the same reaction (which is why their 2010 NBA Finals loss was so surprising).&nbsp;
Which NBA franchise will assemble the next super-team? We asked a number of NBA analysts to share their predictions:
New York Knicks or Phoenix Suns: &ldquo;That's a really good question. I think you'd have to put New York in the discussion. I know it's laughable; people have been hearing about New York being a potential super-team for 20 years now and they've never been able to execute it. But I still think it's a place where people want to play and someday it'll work out, so I'll put them into the discussion. I think a sleeping giant in the NBA - an absolute sleeping giant - is the Phoenix Suns. But I don't know if they have the ability, with their ownership (Robert Sarver), to pull it off. The Phoenix Suns were good for 20 years because people loved being in Phoenix and there are so many advantages there - from the wonderful weather to the life a player can lead to the no state-income tax, and they have just squandered it. In the last 10 years, they've squandered it. They have a superstar there in residence. When you think about building a super-team, usually you want to start with a star. It's much easier to start with a star, and I think Devin Booker is a mega-star in development. They have a window to do it and they have a coach who people want to play for [in Monty Williams]. There's everything there, but the ownership is so shaky that it's just really hard for me to believe that it can be executed. But I&rsquo;ve been saying this for five years: Phoenix is a sleeping giant. I would put those two teams - the Suns and Knicks - on the list for sure, as far as building up from nothing.&rdquo; 
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://audioboom.com/posts/7700254-brian-windhorst-on-covering-lebron-james-giannis-future-the-nba-s-next-super-team-and-2020-fr">Brian Windhorst, ESPN (on &ldquo;The Alex Kennedy Podcast&rdquo;)</a>
Miami Heat: &ldquo;The New York Kn... Nah, just kidding. My early guess is the Miami Heat. They already have two stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. They&rsquo;re slotted to have at least one max slot available, though we&rsquo;re still unsure of the effect the pandemic will have on the cap moving forward. Still, the Heat have stars, intriguing young talent, a great coach, a strong front office and a great location to pitch. They&rsquo;re going to throw their hat in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. And even if that fails, they&rsquo;ve been linked to both Bradley Beal and Victor Oladipo. It&rsquo;s hard to believe the Heat will go 0-for-3 on that front.&rdquo;
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/NekiasNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nekias Duncan</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="http://www.basketballnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BasketballNews.com</a>
Miami Heat: &ldquo;The franchise that will assemble the next super team is the Miami Heat. Pat Riley showed what he can do with significant cap space when he lured LeBron James and Chris Bosh to join Dwyane Wade in South Beach. It's the league's worst-kept secret that Miami hopes to make a run at MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer. Miami is a potential destination for Victor Oladipo too. When you combine All-Star Jimmy Butler with a proven core of players, the lavish lifestyle of living in Miami and a ton of money to spend, who wouldn't want to sit at the table with Riley for a meeting?&rdquo;
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/MikeAScotto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Scotto</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://hoopshype.com/author/michaelascotto/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HoopsHype</a>&nbsp;
Miami Heat: "Miami is the odds-on favorite to form a new super-team because they will have a solid amount of cap room."
- <a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/Chris_Broussard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Broussard</a>, <a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/featured/the-odd-couple-with-chris-broussard-rob-parker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Sports</a>
Brooklyn Nets: &ldquo;Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and the No. 2 pick the Warriors will have in the 2020 NBA Draft is pretty darn super, but I'm not sure that qualifies as &lsquo;assembling&rsquo; since they technically already possess those pieces. I found myself writing and rewriting my answer several times before eventually landing on the Brooklyn Nets. The team already has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and a slew of young players and draft capital that could be packaged in a deal similar to the one that landed Anthony Davis in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James. Nets general manager Sean Marks has both the know-how and relationships to get something like that done, whether it be for Bradley Beal, Devin Booker or Rudy Gobert (who will be a free agent following the 2020-21 season). It's a tough call, but I vote Brooklyn. They narrowly edge Miami because, at least based on today's standard, I regard a &lsquo;super-team' as one that has three bonafide superstars. I think Miami has one in Jimmy Butler. The Lakers obviously have two in James and Davis. Should Giannis Antetokounmpo opt to sign there, they&rsquo;ll be a super-team, but that couldn't occur any earlier than after next season. Brooklyn, I think, is the only team that has two superstars and the capital to trade for another right now.&rdquo;
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/MokeHamilton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moke Hamilton</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://theathletic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Athletic</a>
<img src="https://basketballnews-media.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/images/story/body/KDI_lg.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="AUTO" />
Golden State Warriors: &ldquo;The next super-team is the previous super-team: the Golden State Warriors. Kevin Durant may be gone, but if they can find good value for their No. 2 overall pick and their trade exception from the Andre Iguodala deal, they could be absolutely loaded again next season. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green are a formidable trio, but with the assets at their disposal, the Warriors could very well turn back into a juggernaut with one or two moves.&rdquo;
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/Trevor_Lane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trevor Lane</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://lakersnation.com/author/trevor-lane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lakers Nation</a>
Dallas Mavericks: &ldquo;I already mentioned Brooklyn as my <a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="http://beta.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-teams-most-improved-biggest-leap-golden-state-warriors-brooklyn-nets-phoenix-suns-new-orleans-pelicans">team that will make the biggest jump next season</a>, but I'll go with Dallas here. The Mavericks have the ultimate building block in Luka Doncic, a special talent who looks like he's capable of winning multiple MVPs before his career is over. With Kristaps Porzingis' inspiring play in the bubble showing why KD once called him a 'unicorn' and an excellent coach in Rick Carlisle completing the remarkable transition of defensive maven to installing the best offense in NBA history, Dallas is right there. The Mavericks only need to find a third star, but Doncic will attract even more talent with his playmaking skills and limitless potential. With Mark Cuban, they also have an ambitious owner who will spend whatever is necessary to keep his franchise relevant.&rdquo;
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/MrMichaelLee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Lee</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://theathletic.com/author/michael-lee/">The Athletic</a>
Dallas Mavericks: &ldquo;The Dallas Mavericks have the best building blocks right now. They already have two of the league's best young stars in Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic, but Doncic's rookie-scale contract affords them max cap room in the summer of 2021 to add a third. While no particular team can be called a &lsquo;favorite&rsquo; to assemble a super-team, it's hard to find a better landing spot for Giannis Antetokounmpo than the team that once employed his brother, Kostas.&rdquo;
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/NateDuncanNBA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nate Duncan</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/duncd-on-basketball-nba-podcast/id986901174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dunc&rsquo;d On Podcast</a>
It&rsquo;s Up to Giannis: "It's difficult to project where the next super-team will form, but the entire NBA hinges on&nbsp;Giannis Antetokounmpo's decision this offseason with the Milwaukee Bucks. Does he accept a super-max extension or choose to wait until he's a free agent in the summer of 2021? If he does, the Bucks may need to consider trading him, which is why the Golden State Warriors are trying to position themselves for another dynasty. It's obviously up to Antetokounmpo, who may choose to stay with the Bucks. But what if he decides to head to Miami to play with Jimmy Butler and the Heat? Or maybe he bolts for Toronto to join Pascal Siakam and Co. on the Raptors? Out in Los Angeles, would LeBron James take a paycut to make room for Giannis on the Lakers? The next superteam is wherever Antetokoumpo chooses to play, if he decides to leave Milwaukee."
-&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://twitter.com/EricPincus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eric Pincus</a>,&nbsp;<a style="color: #ecf0f1;" href="https://bleacherreport.com/users/7951339-eric-pincus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bleacher Report</a>

Which NBA franchise will put together the next super-team? We asked a number of top NBA analysts to share their thoughts.