"What's this fool doing out here half-dressed?" - Marques Johnson shared a remarkable Giannis story that highlights his dedication

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How did Giannis Antetokounmpo go from a walking question mark to one of the most dominant two-way forces of his era? Marques Johnson saw the answer to this question with his own two eyes.

The Milwaukee Bucks legend, now an analyst for Fox Sports Wisconsin, recalled a night when the Greek Freak headed back to the floor for extra reps after a rough showing at the free-throw line.

"My favorite Giannis story is from last season. They had just lost a game and he had struggled from the line that night," Johnson told NBA.com's Steve Aschburner. "I'm walking to my car in the parking structure, and it's probably two degrees outside, so I'm hurrying to get there. The crowd of people had just been let out of the game, and I see this tall, skinny black dude kind of weaving his way through the crowd, and he's got on [an undershirt] and shorts. I'm like, 'What's this fool doing out here half-dressed?"

"And it was Giannis, running to the practice facility to get up some free throws. It just blew me away. That's just the mindset he has. It's really refreshing to be around," added the former five-time NBA All-Star.

Giannis' NBA story was one of unmatched dedication

The biggest lesson from Antetokounmpo's life is that hard work always pays off. He went from being a guy sweeping basketball courts in Greece one minute to becoming an NBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and champion the next.

Therefore, practicing free throws late at night was an easy task compared to what he had endured on his basketball journey.

Still, as Johnson highlighted, it was a refreshing sight. He did not mention which game he was referring to, but it occurred during the 2017-18 season, a year after Antetokounmpo was named the league's Most Improved Player. There weren't many poor free-throw shooting nights in a home defeat that season, but a close, 106-101 loss to the Miami Heat fits the bill.

Regardless, Antetokounmpo had already established himself as a two-way juggernaut, making the All-NBA and All-Defensive second teams in 2016-17. But that, obviously, wasn't enough. He felt the need to throw up some extra shots after a subpar performance, refusing to let one weakness linger longer than it should.

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What Giannis needed to improve on

Interestingly, the two-time MVP's free-throw shooting got worse after the 2018-19 season, with his percentage hovering in the 60s.

Seven years after Johnson witnessed Antetokounmpo running half-dressed out in two-degree weather, the charity stripe remained the biggest weakness in an otherwise complete game.

The bigger picture, however, showed that the free-throw issue was only one piece of the puzzle. Giannis' outside shooting — from the mid-range all the way to the rainbow country — remained a swing skill that could elevate his game to an even higher level.

Johnson saw the need for Antetokounmpo to improve on it back then, and the advice remains applicable now.

"The thing with developing a jump shot, it will just be easier for him to score," he said. "That's one thing I was taught early in my career: if I could hit five mid-range jump shots a game, I would average 20 points easy because of my offensive rebounding and ability in transition. So that was my goal, to knock down three-five little jumpers, and then the rest of the game would open up for me."

"The same thing with Giannis. If he can hit those jumpers, the game will become easier and he won't have to expend the same type of energy," Johnson added.

Antetokounmpo never became a consistent outside threat at any point in his career, but he found a way to become even more effective. Nearly three of his every four attempts come less than five feet from the basket, making 75 percent of these incursions, the very definition of unstoppable. He is also on pace to average career-highs in points (32.6) and assists (7.1).

Even with the free throws and outside shooting still on his to-fix list, the overall package was overwhelming, thanks to his remarkable dedication. With players at his level, you learn to live with the rough edges because the return is enormous.

Related: "I got a hide and seek show you ain't even seen yet" -Marques Johnson on how Michael foreshadowed his 63-point game versus the Celtics

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 23, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.