In 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, ended a fifty-year NBA championship drought. Entering the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, they first swept the Miami Heat. Next, they faced the Brooklyn Nets, who boasted stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Markieff Morris Makes a Bold Statement About Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Nets led the series 2-1 when Giannis accidentally stepped on Irving’s ankle, causing Irving to miss the rest of the series. Recently, Markieff Morris claimed that without this incident, Giannis would still be without a championship ring. Morris went further, suggesting that even the Bucks’ players knew they would have been swept if not for that injury (via NBACentral).

 

Although Morris’ remark about a sweep is inaccurate—since the Bucks had already won a game—it raises an interesting point. Even without Irving, Durant nearly carried the Nets to victory, and if his foot hadn’t been on the line during a critical late-game shot, the Bucks might have lost the series.

However, after defeating the Nets, the Bucks still had to overcome the Atlanta Hawks and then the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals. The NBA is filled with hypotheticals and what-ifs, but teams must play the opponents in front of them. History could always hinge on a single moment, changing the course of events forever.