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MILWAUKEE – Giannis Antetokounmpo said he appreciates the love the city of Milwaukee has shown him since arriving as an 18-year-old rookie from Greece.
So the reigning two-time MVP decided to show his loyalty to the place where he spent his entire NBA career.
“It’s where I want to be,” Antetokounmpo said Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), a day after signing a supermax extension with the Bucks. “It’s where I want to raise my kids. I feel good here. My family feels good here, so I’m fine.”
Antetokounmpo could have become a free agent at the end of next season had he not agreed to the deal, reportedly a five-year extension worth $ 228 million. Many NBA teams were fixing their financial plans in the hopes that the 6-foot-11 “Greek Freak” would be available.
Instead, he stayed and said it was important to him that his loyalty be considered part of his legacy.
“I am a man of my word,” Antetokounmpo said. “This is great. This is great. Being on a team that trusted me, believed in me, took care of me, took care of my family. I always want to give back and I’ve been trying to give back since day one.” , since I am here. I have more to give. “
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Family means a lot to Antetokounmpo, who became a father earlier this year and has a brother (Thanasis) at the Bucks and another (Kostas) at the Los Angeles Lakers.
While talking about what this contract extension means to him, he made reference to his own father, Charles Antetokounmpo, who died of a heart attack in September 2017.
“I know he’s dancing right now,” Antetokounmpo said. “He is extremely happy for what we have accomplished and extremely proud of us and who we are as human beings.”
Antetokounmpo hopes to give the Bucks their first NBA title since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led them to the 1971 championship. The Bucks have posted the NBA’s best regular-season record each of the past two years, but lost to Miami. in a second-round series last season after losing to Toronto in the 2019 Eastern Conference finals.
Antetokounmpo says he thinks he can win a title in Milwaukee and noted that the Bucks have a “great culture.” But he also points out that building a championship team is a step-by-step process.
“It’s difficult because at the end of the day, no place you go, no place you are is a guarantee of winning a championship,” Antetokounmpo said. “But I know who I am and I know that I am a man of words. It may take me 10 years, I may never win a championship or win five. Whatever the case, I know who I am, I know what I believe and I know I stayed with people who believed in me. “
He kept some of them guessing until the end.
Antetokounmpo, 26, said he did not inform any teammates of his decision before announcing it on social media because he did not want the news to leak. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he found out while pulling out of a parking lot when he saw that his sons had tweeted the Antetokounmpo announcement text message.
“Players like Giannis are very, very rare and very, very unique,” Budenholzer said. “This commitment on his part means the world to us all. He believes in the city, he believes in the organization and he believes in his teammates. You just feel like you have the opportunity to do something special because of his specialty.”
Antetokounmpo has already done more for the Bucks than they ever imagined when they selected him with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft. The two-time MVP and current NBA defensive player of the year believes there is still more to do.
“Being able to give back to this city and this organization means a lot,” said Antetokounmpo. “I would be ecstatic if we could bring a championship to Milwaukee. I will probably be the happiest person.”
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