OTD in 2013: Cavs Drafted Bennett #1; Bucks Got Giannis Antetokounmpo #15

Milwaukee's greatest draft pick, Giannis Antetokounmpo's best career highlights https://t.co/whV9mDfxSo
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) June 27, 2021

Every draft has its hidden gems but in 2013, the Milwaukee Bucks found a veritable diamond in a little-known 18-year-old playing professional ball in Greece named Giannis Antetokounmpo. Scouts and analysts considered the Greek Freak as a long-term investment at best, but no one predicted the impact he would go on to have as he developed to become among the best players in the world.

Before Giannis’ ascent to the top of the league, his draft class was mostly remembered for the player picked at number one, Anthony Bennett. This happened to be for all the wrong reasons as the first overall pick would be out of the league after four unremarkable years. Other notable picks in his class were CJ McCollum, Victor Oladipo, and perennial Defensive of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert. All these players have proved their basketball talent, but none reached the heights Giannis would.

He was not an instant sensation, like Luka Doncic or Kevin Durant. Giannis made his first All-Star team in 2017 as a starter at the age of 22, becoming the youngest player in Bucks franchise history to do so. Just two years later in 2019, he would win his first MVP award, then won a second the following season along with the Defensive Player of the Year award. This feat had been accomplished by only two other players, Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon.