Giannis Antetokounmpo declared his place in history will take care of itself as he closes in on matching Michael Jordan's NBA triple-double haul.
The Milwaukee Bucks star nudged ahead of Lakers great Elgin Baylor and up to 19th on the NBA all-time list as he tallied 35 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in a 136-113 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jordan Nwora weighed in with 23 points in 19 minutes, while Jrue Holiday grabbed 21 as the Bucks delivered a 400th career win for coach Mike Budenholzer.
Greek maestro Antetokounmpo takes pride in his achievements but says there is little time to stand still and appreciate where his career has taken him – because there is always another game around the corner.
He now has 27 triple-doubles, one shy of all-time great Jordan, who sits 18th on the list.
It was some way to start 2022 for the 27-year-old, who posted on Twitter: "New year, same me."
New year, same me pic.twitter.com/8htayUxqHl
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) January 2, 2022
“To be honest with you, obviously we're so locked in and so focused on what we gotta do, that those moments go, not unnoticed – obviously it’s a great compliment to be with those guys – but you kind of brush it off and just focus on the next game which is Detroit," he said in a post-game news conference.
"But as I get older I gotta take a moment and live in the moment and enjoy this moment. Having 27 triple-doubles, it's insane. I remember getting my first one.
"It's been a long journey, and I've got a long way to go. I'll just keep enjoying every moment, and if you keep playing the right way, good things happen.
"I believe that as long as I am enjoying the game and live in the moment, I keep creating special moments. You've got to appreciate the moments but continue moving forward. That's what I've done my whole life and that's what I'm going to continue doing. It's been working."
He spoke of how his approach had brought rich reward, stating: "I'm just trying to stay aggressive. I feel I'm at my best when I'm aggressive.
"My mindset through the whole game is to be aggressive, make the right decisions, put my team in the right spot."
