Ben Steele

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Most basketball fans know how seriously Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo takes his craft.

That's not going to change, even with the 23-year-old firmly established as one of the NBA's elite players.

Antetokounmpo is so focused entering his sixth season that he didn't even tell one of his "Dad jokes" during the team's media day at Fiserv Forum on Monday. His unique comedic stylings have been a staple of the season-kickoff event.

Instead, Antetokounmpo talked in depth about how he wanted to keep improving after averaging 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game last season.

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Searching for a new edge, Antetokounmpo had a workout session over the summer with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.

"Obviously, Kobe is one of the greatest players to ever play the game," Antetokounmpo said. "I knew that I (was) going to learn a lot from him. I just wanted to take from him his thought process.

"Like what he thinks about the game. How he thinks the game. Does he think about recovery? Stuff like that."

Antetokounmpo was so excited about the opportunity that he showed up super early to the gym.

"The workout was at 2:30. I was there at 11," he said. "I landed at 9, picked up my bag, took a car there. I got some treatment, got some shots. Worked a little bit on my body, and then got some shots again."

"And then 10 minutes before he came in, I was hanging out, doing some free throws. Then he got in and we started working out."

It was the kind of dedication that a maniacal worker like Bryant could appreciate.

"I just wanted to show him that I am not here to mess around," Antetokounmpo said. "I'm not here for no PR reasons. None of that. I'm here to get better. Simple as that.

"I think he understands that. And that's why we both took that practice really, really serious. He was open about what he thinks about the game, what he thinks about me as a player and what he thinks about the Bucks."

The combination of Antetokounmpo's capacity to work and his seemingly limitless talent were big reasons why new Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer decided to take the job.

"One of the things you always hear about Giannis, whenever you're talking about him, is his work ethic," Budenholzer said. "I would say it has met or exceeded all of my expectations.

"He wants to be great. He puts the time and effort in."

Budenholzer, who spent 17 seasons on the San Antonio coaching staff, drew parallels between Antetokounmpo and retired Spurs star Tim Duncan.

"I just think the purity of Giannis' competitive spirit is very similar to Timmy's," Budenholzer said. "All they care about is winning and it really fills your entire roster, fills your locker room, fills your organization.

"When your best player is a pure competitor and all he cares about is winning, nothing else really matters."

Budenholzer has learned quickly that his new star isn't ever satisfied.

"He wants to talk with me about things," Budenholzer said. "He wants to talk to great players, legends, or other coaches or assistant coaches.

"There's just a real thirst for knowledge with Giannis that I think lots of times is inherent with people who want to be great.

"And when you're not around somebody, you don't get to see that everyday. So that's a couple things that stand out. He's a special player, but I think he's a special human being."