John Hammond’s fingerprints are all over the Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA championship.
So much so that Giannis Antetokounmpo had high praise for Hammond after the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday to capture their first NBA title in 50 years. It was Hammond, the current Orlando Magic general manager who held the same role for the Bucks from 2008 to 2017, who drafted Giannis with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Back then, Giannis was a lanky unknown out of Greece. Today he is a two-time MVP, five-time NBA All-Star, one-time Defensive Player of the Year and — after his 50-point, 14-rebound, 5-block performance in Game 6 on Tuesday —an NBA champion and NBA Finals MVP.