MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo was only 23 years when the Milwaukee Bucks selected Donte DiVincenzo No. 17 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. But Antetokounmpo already had five NBA seasons to his name and a whole lot of accolades.
By then, he was a two-time All-Star, made the All-NBA team twice and All-Defensive team once, along with being named the league's Most Improved Player for his 2016-17 season. Like DiVincenzo's newest superstar teammate, Giannis' greatness is about more than trophies and numbers.
The same goes with Steph Curry. They're two all-time greats who bring a sense of normalcy in a world that's far from that.
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DiVincenzo spent three-plus seasons in Milwaukee with Antetokounmpo, and is returning to Fiserv Forum for the first time since being traded last season when the Warriors square off with the Bucks on Tuesday night. The Warriors guard sees a handful of similarities between Curry and Antetokounmpo. None more so than the joy the two bring to their respective buildings on an everyday basis.
"It's fun," DiVincenzo said Tuesday at the Warriors' hotel in Milwaukee. "It's fun to come to work. When you have someone who has great spirit, great energy with them -- you want to be around them, you want to spend as much time around them to learn from them.
"I've had that in both places."
On the court, Curry and Antetokounmpo couldn't be more different. From their statue to their skill sets and playing styles, the former two-time MVPs are opposites.
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In Curry, the Warriors have a 6-foot-3 monster who has changed the game from behind the 3-point line. He's equal parts showman and psycho in the best ways possible. As he has grown and added muscle at 34 years old, Curry also has turned into an improved defender and rebounder, as well as someone who is extremely hard to slow down around the rim. Through 24 games this season, Curry is averaging 30.0 points, 7.0 assists and a career-high 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 43.6 percent on 3-pointers.
In Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have a 7-foot Greek Freak who defies physics and athleticism. At times, it feels like all he needs is four strides to run the length of the floor and throw down a powerful dunk. He's part young Shaquille O'Neal, concocted with Kevin Garnett and a dash of Magic Johnson. Over his first 22 games this season, Antetokounmpo is putting up a career-best 31.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists a night.
Curry and Antetokounmpo are Example A of the "V" in MVP, giving their respective franchises value in every way possible.
"They're both great players, but they're also both great people," DiVincenzo said. "I think Steph ... they're both very similar, so the contrast part is hard. I think Giannis' dominance is more of the physical, more of coming at you every single possession. Steph, sometimes you look up and you didn't even know he had 30 points. It's just a different way of getting those points, getting rhythm for those guys.
"Ultimately what makes them special, though, is they're really cool off the court which allows the leadership part for people to follow them."
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The two giants in their own regard will have the spotlight on them once again Tuesday night with loads of respect for each other. That same respect spans all across the NBA, the game's community and the entire globe with their brands, basketball mastery and humanity on and off the court.
After nearly four years with Antetokounmpo and a few months around Curry, DiVincenzo has seen, and is seeing, everything that makes these two so special. It all starts at the ground floor with the fun that follows Steph and Giannis, with their prowess being the cherry on top.