Short YouTube interview clip (Fortitude 365) in which Giannis Antetokounmpo responds to whether a season should be considered a failure. He argues that working toward goals (promotions, championships) are steps toward success rather than failures, and cites Michael Jordan’s 6 championships across 15 seasons as an example to challenge the idea that seasons without a title are failures.
I just asked Bud the exact same question. But I'm curious for you. Do you view this season as a failure?
Oh, my God.
Okay. Because I'm not that up.
You asked me the same question last year, Eric. Okay. Do you get a promotion every year on your job? No. Right. So every year you work is a failure, yes or no? No. Every. Every year you work, you work towards something, towards a goal, right? Which is to get a promotion. To be able to take care of your family, to be able, I don't know, provide the house for them or take care of your parents. You work towards a goal, it's not a failure. It steps to success, you know, and if you've never. I don't know, I don't want to. I don't want to make it personal. So there's always steps to it, you know?
Michael Jordan played 15 years, won six championship. The other nine years was a failure. That's what you're telling me?
I'm asking you a question. Yes or no. Okay, exactly. So why are you asking me that question? It's a wrong question. There's no failure in sports. You know, there's good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful, some days you're not. Some days it's your turn, some days it's not your turn. And that's what sports about. You don't always win. Some other. Other people's gonna win and this year somebody else is gonna win. Simple as that. We're gonna come back next year, try to be better. Try to build good habits, try to play better. Not have 10 days stretch with playing bad basketball, you know, and hopefully we can win a championship. So 50 years from 1971 to 2021, that we didn't win a championship. It was 50 years of failures. No, it was not. It was steps to it, you know, and we were able to win one. Hopefully we can win another one. You know, I sorry that I didn't want to make it personal because you asked me the same question last year and last year I was in the right mind space to answer the question back. But I remember it.
