Antetokounmpo, a forward for the Milwaukee Bucks, gave a heartfelt speech thanking his coaches, teammates and his father, Charles, who died in September 2017 of a heart attack, according to the NBA's website.
"I want to thank my dad. Obviously, you know, he's not here with me. Two years ago, I had the goal in my head that I'm going to be the best player in the league and I'm going to do whatever it takes to help my team win and I'm going to win the MVP," he said.
"Everyday that I step on the floor, I always think about my dad and that motivates me, that pushes me to play harder and move forward."
Antetokounmpo led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the Toronto Raptors who went on to win the NBA Finals.
Antetokounmpo is the first Greek NBA all-star and was also nominated for Defensive Player of the Year. Because of his size -- 6-feet, 11-inches, 242 pounds -- and athleticism, Antetokounmpo is known as the "Greek Freak." He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won three times, as the only Bucks players to earn MVP honors, according to a news release from the team. Antetokounmpo's coach, Mike Budenholzer, also won NBA Coach of the Year.
Shaquille O' Neal hosted the 2019 NBA Awards Monday where the league's top performers were honored.
Source: edition.cnn.com