While talent and perseverance are essential to attaining superstardom in the NBA, it doesn't hurt to get a little help from somebody else. A player can have all the hoop skills in the world, but without an opportunity to showcase that on the hardwood floor, that player won't get to nurture that and gain enough confidence to truly spread his wings and fly in the big leagues.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was one such player. After entering the NBA as a raw 19-year-old prospect from Greece, he showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie season, averaging 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game for the Milwaukee Bucks .
Giannis began his sophomore season as a reserve, with Jason Kidd starting veteran forward Jared Dudley and opting to bring the young man up slowly. Fortunately, Dudley was a smart vet who immediately recognized Antetokounmpo's immense potential. Eager to do his part in unlocking the Greek ace's skill set, Dudley did what anyone rarely does in the NBA: willingly step aside for someone else.
While most players would fool themselves into thinking they were still the player they once were, Dudley went against the grain and embraced what he already was: an aging forward who was keeping the Bucks' diamond-in-the-rough from shining.
"I'm starting over, Giannis, probably the first 10 games, 12 games. This time I'm seeing, 'Hey, listen, I'm starting to slow down a little bit.' I'm like, 'Yo, this is a kid where we need to get…Like, where we're trying to go, we need him," Dudley recalled .
"I go in the office to J-Kidd…'Hey, listen, you need to start Giannis. I'll go to the bench, sixth, seventh, eighth man, depending on who comes out the game.' We take off," he added.
Thrust into a starting role, Giannis was unfazed by the added responsibilities and the heightened pressure, putting up an 18-point, 12-rebound double-double in a triple-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets , and, a few nights later, a 20-point showing against the Washington Wizards .
Giannis started 71 games that season and averaged 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game. But more than the numbers, the minutes, and the reps pushed his confidence to a different level and paved the way for him to become the difference-making superstar that he is today.
As mentioned, success in the big leagues is also influenced by opportunity. While Dudley sacrificed his starting spot, he still got meaningful minutes due to the unfortunate ACL injury that promising forward Jabari Parker suffered.
Seeing the success Draymond Green had playing as a small-ball, playmaking big man for the Golden State Warriors , Dudley went to Kidd once again and proposed playing the four.
"Now I'm a little bit too slow to play the three, and now at the four, I'm fast and athletic compared to these fours because they're not used to the pick-and-pops now," Dudley shared. "And now I'm a smarter second side doing pick-and-rolls, and so then now that helps me."
The decisions the Bucks made that season paid dividends as they went from winning just 15 games the previous season to going 41-41 and making the NBA Playoffs as the sixth seed. Although they put up a fantastic fight against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls , they eventually fell in six games.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
