The Milwaukee Bucks became NBA Champions last night as they won Game 6 behind a legendary performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The 2X league MVP showcased his dominance and greatness as he had 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks while surprisingly making 17 of his 19 free throw attempts.

The Bucks winning it all is such an awesome sports story and specifically the journey of Giannis. He’s from Greece, didn’t start playing basketball until he was 12 years old, and Milwaukee chose him 15th overall in the 2013 NBA draft as an 18-year-old raw prospect.

Over the last eight seasons, Giannis has developed his game to become one of the best, enhanced his body to be one of the strongest, and has a tremendous mindset that gives him an edge.

Oftentimes when players become superstars in a small market like Milwaukee, they chase the lights, fame, and money in the big cities like LA or New York and leave the first chance they get. But that hasn’t been the case for Giannis. He’s been loyal to the Bucks since the beginning.

In 2014 he tweeted, “I’ll never leave the team and the city of Milwaukee till we build the team to a championship level team..”

He lived up to his word and signed a contract extension with the Bucks in December 2020, despite having other options in bigger markets. By winning the Championship last night, Giannis proved remaining in Milwaukee was a wise decision.

After the win, he said, “I just couldn’t leave. There was a job that had to be finished. Coming back, I was like, ‘This is my city. They trust me. They believe in me. They believe in us.’ Obviously, I wanted to get the job done.

“But that’s my stubborn side. It’s easy to go somewhere and go win a championship with somebody else. It’s easy…I could go to a super team and just do my part and win a championship. But this is the hard way to do it.”

I understand why players move to different teams during free agency, but I love it when guys stick around with the same team, stay the course, and win a championship – especially when it’s the harder way to do it.

As we think about how Giannis proved he didn’t have to go to the bigger market to win, I want to unpack how in our own lives we don’t have to chase the “bigger markets” to win.

It’s so easy to want a bigger bank account, a bigger house, bigger lawn, bigger boat, bigger TV, bigger platform, bigger title, and a bigger role.

Those things aren’t necessarily bad, but when they become our greatest desire, it causes us to “leave” instead of remaining. It’s hard to pass on many of the things the world offers us in “bigger markets,” but the truth is, we’ll always end up winning when we remain loyal, faithful, and committed to following Jesus, resting in Him, obeying Him, and finding our contentment in Him.

Jesus tells us in John 15:4-5 (NLT), “Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Luke 9:25 (AMP) asks, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], and loses or forfeits himself?”

Hebrews 13:5 (AMP) encourages us to “Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, ‘I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!’”

Today, as many NBA fans celebrate the Bucks’ win and the unlikely superstar who carried them while remaining in Milwaukee, let’s remain in Jesus and praise Him for never leaving us…and carrying us to victory.

I’m Bryce Johnson and you can UNPACK that!

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to know You personally. Help me to remain in intimate fellowship with You and not get caught up in the world and the pursuit of bigger markets. I pray I’d love You more than anything, stay the course, and commit to the path You have for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Discussion Questions for PACKS:

  1. Which of the “bigger markets” do you find yourself chasing?

  2. How have you seen fruit produced in your life when You’re remaining and abiding in Jesus?