MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo was full of joy Friday night as he was preparing to exit Fiserv Forum following the Milwaukee Bucks' 137-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

It was a meaningless contest for the Bucks with the No. 1 seed already wrapped up. Antetokounmpo and many other key players did not play.

That joy originated from a pregame surprise at center court. The Bucks honored the Greek Freak for becoming the franchise's leaders in points, assists and games played in the past year. He couldn't hide his emotions. He just soaked it in, staring at the video tribute before being awarded with a framed jersey recognizing his accomplishments.

Prior to entering the private corridors of the arena after the game, he signed autographs and gave a young kid the shoes off his own feet. He then entered the locker room briefly and emerged wearing Nike slides. The seven-time All-Star agreed to grant Bleacher Report an exclusive interview on his stroll to look for his family.

"I had no clue they were going to do that," Antetokounmpo told B/R of the Bucks' tribute while walking and talking. "That was special. They really surprised me."

From there, he was asked about his feelings on the MVP debate that's largely been centered around Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić.

Antetokounmpo's tone suddenly changed.

"Let's go sit down because now you're going to get me upset," the star told B/R. "Let's go sit down on these steps. Well, nah, I need to get comfortable. Let's go in here."

The 7'0" forward escorted us into the family and friends room where his mother, significant other and kids were waiting for him. He grabbed two seats for the interviewer and interviewee.

He was ready.

"Look, I will never try to create a narrative about the work I put in and maybe that might hurt me because I believe the last five years I've been the MVP," Antetokounmpo stated firmly to B/R. "Do I want a third MVP? Hell f--king yeah I want a third one. I am extremely competitive. I try to make my team successful. That's what I get paid for. That's what I'm here for. I'm never going to be one who discredits anybody else's work. That's not who I am as a person. And I will never beg for an MVP award that I believe I deserve. I'm very proud that I'm able to play at an MVP level because that means I'm making my team very successful. That's the goal."

The Bucks own the best record in the NBA at 58-23, and that's with their second-best player Khris Middleton only playing in 33 games this season. Antetokounmpo took another step this season, averaging a career-high 31.1 points with the addition of 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 32.1 minutes per game.

Typically, the best player on the team with the best record holds the edge in the MVP conversation. That formula, at least in public discourse, hasn't quite given Antetokounmpo the boost it tends to apply.

"Can I say this? Two of the MVPs I won in the last five years, those were my two worst seasons [in that span]," Antetokounmpo told B/R. "Go pull up the stats… But it doesn't even matter. I've tried to avoid this conversation at all costs. I don't ever want to drive a narrative and have my kids seeing their father whining about an award because, at the end of the day, it's all a part of history. I don't want to win that way."

Throughout the entire interview, he did not mention any of the other MVP candidates in an effort to steer clear of any perceived slights.

Antetokounmpo is seen by many as the most unstoppable offensive force in the league and arguably the best two-way player, considering he also has a Defensive Player of the Year award at home.

Could there be voter's fatigue when it comes to his candidacy?

"Maybe people are just tired of me. And look, I'll be tired of myself too. I'm not going to lie," Antetokounmpo told B/R. "Mariah [Riddlesprigger], my significant other, is tired of me too. But at the end of the day, I will try to be consistent, I will try to be as dominant as I can and I will try to help my team be successful for as many years as I can and in as many years as my legs allow me to be. Eventually, they're going to be like, 'Man, give this guy this MVP because goddamn, he's still here.' That's what's going to happen."

The two-time MVP took us inside his mental process when he feels the odds are against him. He shared a story about his time in the NBA Orlando bubble in the summer of 2020.

"In 2019, it was hard. I was hooping all year, but I made it successful. Then we went to the bubble. I left my family, my newborn kid, but it was f--king worth it. That's what I see in those MVP trophies. I see the struggle," Antetokounmpo shared with B/R. "Do I wish to get one more? One hundred percent. The goal is to play at an MVP level. Now, I could play at an MVP level and never be blessed with another MVP. That's OK. I see things before it happens. I manifest it in my mind.

"I remember when we lost in the bubble to Miami and everybody was saying we fell short again and all that other stuff. But I remember this: When we left our families for the bubble in an environment that nobody enjoyed, I sprained my ankle three times in a row before I was about to sign the largest contract in NBA history. And I'm begging my GM and my coach to let me play the game. That's all I remember. I never quit. When I went back home, I was able to hug my kid and look my family in the eyes. I was able to walk in the street with my head high because I knew even for those last 10 minutes before I sprained my ankle, I gave everything I had.

"I remember telling you, 'Chris we can sit here all day and whine about what did happen and what did not happen. I could try to go the easy route and leave.' I told you I see a wall and I go right through it. What happened next year? There was a wall, and I went right through it. We won the championship. And now there's this wall that is called the narrative of an MVP. I'm going to go right through that wall too."

Sensing readers might mistake his comments for campaigning, the forward closed the interview with a parting message.

"I'm extremely blessed to have two MVPs," he told B/R. "I could pull out a lot of facts and data to make a case for myself on why I feel people are discrediting my game, but I'm here to win a championship and that goal will never change. I will never go out here to create a narrative and say, 'I'm this, I'm that, I'm the most handsome guy and you should look this way because I'm the coolest.' No, that's not me.

"I really believe from the bottom of my heart that eventually I'll get another one. Until then, I'm trying to get that second ring."