Giannis Antetokounmpo has finally said the words Milwaukee Bucks fans everywhere have been dreading - he might look for an out before long.
The ‘Greek Freak’ is preparing for his 11th season with the Eastern Conference franchise but he is doing it without coach Mike Budenholzer, who was sacked after the team’s early playoff exit last season. They lost to the Miami Heat in just five games in the postseason’s opening round and the 28-year-old is desperate to compete for the NBA championship once again.
This explains why he made clear during an interview with Bleav Sports that he would be open to leaving the Bucks if a better opportunity with another team allowed him to compete for the Larry O’Brien trophy again. “I'm a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly, I am a winner. I want to be a winner. Comfort zone does not matter to me,” the former two-time league MVP said.
“At the end of the day, I want to create new memories, I want to win a lot of championships,” Antetokounmpo continued. “If there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O'Brien I have to take that better situation.”
Antetokounmpo is one of the most dominant players to grace the NBA and his size, strength and speed combined with his all-around skill are a nightmare players to defend against. He is a seven-time All-Star, won the game’s MVP Award in 2021 and has made the All-NBA first team on five occasions.
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Despite his individual accolades and his lone championship won two years ago, the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year has only reached the NBA Finals once. Antetokounmpo is eligible for a three-year contract extension worth approximately $173 million.
While speaking to the New York Times in August, he admitted he was in no rush to commit his future to the Bucks as he wanted to be sure they would be able to compete for the title. “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page,” he said.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks were eliminated in the first round of last season's NBA playoffs (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)“Everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing. At the end of the day, I feel like all my teammates know and the organization knows that I want to win a championship.
“As long as we’re on the same page with that and you show me and we go together to win a championship, I’m all for it. The moment I feel like, oh, yeah, we’re trying to rebuild … there will never be hard feelings with the Milwaukee Bucks.
“At the end of the day, being a winner, it’s over that goal. Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.”
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