Even the big boys cry! Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo bursts into tears as he is named NBA MVP after edging James Harden for top honor

The Milwaukee Bucks won big at the league wards on Monday, when Giannis Antetokounmpo accepted Most Valuable Player accolades and gave a heartfelt speech honoring his family, despite falling two games short of the NBA Finals.

 "My dad is obviously not with me here."  Regarding his father, Charles, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 54, Antetokounmpo remarked.  "I had to convince myself two years ago that I would be the league's best player, that I would stop at nothing to help my team win, and that I would win MVP." Every time I enter the court, I think of my dad.

The 24-year-old Greek player Antetokounmpo defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder's Paul George and the Houston Rockets' James Harden, who prevailed the previous season.  Harden (23) and Antetokounmpo (78) were the only candidates to collect any votes for first place.   

 As if that weren't enough for the Bucks, on Monday in Santa Monica, general manager Jon Horst took home Executive of the Year, and Antetokounmpo's boss, Mike Budenholzer, took home Coach of the Year.

As Antetokounmpo stated backstage, "MVP is not about stats and numbers, and obviously James Harden and Paul George had unbelievable numbers, but obviously it's about winning."  "Throughout the season, we developed excellent habits that we were able to maintain, which allowed us to have a chance in every game we played and win 60 games."

 Stephen Curry of Golden State and Nikola Jokic of Denver each garnered 16 votes, while George received 58 votes for third place.

In addition to Antetokounmpo, three other international players took home awards from the show: Pascal Siakam of Camaroon (Most Improved Player), Luka Doncic of Slovenia (Rookie of the Year), and Rudy Gobert of France (Defensive Player of the Year).

 During his sixth season with the Bucks, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds, earning him a spot on the All-NBA first team.  The Bucks advanced to the Eastern Conference finals under his leadership, and the team finished the regular season with the best record.

As Antetokounmpo acknowledged his mother Veronica and brothers in the Barker Hanger audience, tears streamed down his cheeks.  He gave appreciation to his coaching staff, teammates, and late father for encouraging him to pursue his ambitions.

 He questioned, "You don't see the future, right?"  And if you have a good mom, they envision the future for you. She always believed in us and supported us no matter what.  She is this family's cornerstone.  I genuinely believe that you are my hero.

Antetokounmpo also expressed gratitude to his four siblings, who are all professional basketball players. 

 Regarding his brothers, Antetokounmpo remarked, "I love you guys, man. You guys are my ride or dies."  I look up to you all, man; you are my role models.  I appreciate all that you guys do for me.  My mom is my hero, and I want to thank her for that. 

 He declared, "As a family, we began with nothing and will go through every stage that we can."

 Backstage, Antetokounmpo stated that he had promised his family that he would not cry.

He said, "You start to get emotional when you hear your name up there on the stage and then you realize these years of hard work, what you did in the past."

 After receiving his second coaching prize, Budenholzer again broke down in tears as he thanked his family.  With Atlanta in 2015, he won the title for the first time.

 In his first season with the team, he led the Bucks to a 60-22 regular season record and the Eastern Conference finals, where they were defeated by eventual NBA champion Toronto.