What does it take to be one of the best players in the NBA?
Apparently the idea is to smear hot sauce on your knees right before you take off.
At least that works Milwaukee Bucks“Superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
And by hot sauce he means Icy Hot.
“I put hot sauce on my knees,” Antetokounmpo told ESPN, but then clarified.
“It’s not hot sauce. It’s freezing cold.”
Just a small difference.
Antetokounmpo goes into the training room exactly 22 minutes before the game starts to bring Icy Hot to his knees.
This is usually the last step in his pre-game routine. A routine that he follows conscientiously. A routine that begins six hours before tipping.
After the morning shootaround, the two-time MVP and NBA champion goes back to his house on game day and sleeps for almost three hours.
“If I don’t take a nap, I can’t play,” Antetokounmpo said.
After his nap, he goes back to the arena and participates in various stretching and soft tissue training exercises. He then heads to the field to complete his carefully detailed shooting routine and script.
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After all warmups are complete and he heads back to the locker room, Antetokounmpo will get his Icy Hot.
Or as he likes to call it: his hot sauce.
Everyone on the Bucks knows Antetokounmpo's pregame routine, especially Kris Middleton.
The Bucks' small forward has been Antetokounmpo's teammate for 11 years, i.e. throughout Antetokounmpo's entire career.
He knows his routine like the back of his hand.
“His routine is over the top,” Middleton said.
“I know every second before the game where he will be. When you see him not doing that, you realize something is wrong.”
Luckily for Middleton and the Bucks, there wasn't much to worry about when it came to Antetokounmpo's play on the court.
He's having another MVP-caliber year, which isn't a surprise considering his work so far.
After a slow start to the season, Milwaukee is currently 11-9, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
Antetokounmpo is aiming for his second NBA championship and seems well prepared for it.
All it takes is some hot sauce and a few naps.
