Milwaukee Bucks ahead Giannis Fretokoumpo, Middle, warms up together with his sons Maverick Shai, left and Liam Charles, proper, earlier than play four of a collection of playoff within the first NBA basketball in opposition to Indiana Pacers, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photograph/Jeffrey Phelps)
Giannis Fretokounpo needed to know the query.
“Do you suppose you may proceed to win the second championship right here in Milwaukee, after a 3rd proper output within the first spherical?”
The query got here after Bucks’ season ended on Tuesday evening in Indianapolis. Antetokounmpo actually asks the identical query proper now.
Antetokounmpo didn’t have a public response for this after the time beyond regulation 119-118, the lack of the season in sport 5 of Spherical 1 in opposition to Indiana. In all probability he doesn’t have a non-public reply to him. However he wants this reply someday within the following days or perhaps weeks, as a result of now it’s official on the crossroads which have reached a variety of superstars through the years.
Keep or go away?
Sure, an accurate query – though it isn’t a choice of Fretokoumpo. He’s in a contract with Bucks for a number of seasons. Even when he asks for commerce, he mustn’t accommodate him.
It might be wonderful for atetokounmpo; He would select a brand new place and that staff can be immediately thought of a title competitor. Could possibly be nice for dollars; Many of the groups after years of account should attain the reset button at a time and will get a transport of gamers and selections to begin once more.
“I am not going to do that. I will not do this,” mentioned Fatekounmpo in response to the query. “I do know … no matter I mentioned, I understand how it will likely be translated. I do not know, man. I want to play. I want to compete and return to Milwaukee. I do not know.”
Here is what the reply might be found, each time the time will come to formulate the actual one: his place in Milwaukee Lore is bound, he introduced a NBA championship within the metropolis, he is not going to have Damian Lillard for a lot, if not the entire subsequent season due to Lillard, his staff was not eradicated.
Antetokounmpo is in his first. He’s about to complete within the first 4 votes for NBA MVP Award – a trophy he gained twice – for the seventh consecutive yr. He simply recorded a median of 30 factors per match for the third consecutive yr, and if he had marked eight extra factors within the 2021-22 season, it could have been 4 consecutive years to do that. He has simply recorded a minimum of 25 factors and 10 restoration for the eighth consecutive season; Solely Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone have a number of such seasons.
Antetokounmpo will need extra, whether or not it’s in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
“There may be many instances that life has saddened me or annoyed since I used to be a baby. I’ve by no means given up,” mentioned Atetokoumpo. “You already know, I all the time attempt to discover options in my life. I believe it interprets into the basketball court docket. I all the time strive, regardless that issues couldn’t occur as I wish to occur. I all the time have class and I’ve this optimistic mentality to return, I proceed to work. And it will likely be a day that will likely be your flip.”
Transferring somebody with two years and 113 million dollars left in his contract – to not point out an possibility of participant who might prolong it for an additional yr and strategy extra with $ 63 million on the invoice – it will likely be tough. And gamers will not be all the time traded the place they wish to go; The apparent case exists when Lillard needed to be traded by Portland in Miami and resulted in Milwaukee.
However whether it is what he needs, groups will leap to the prospect to take action.
“Giannis is considered one of one,” mentioned coach Bucks, Doc Rivers. “I believe, sadly, for all of the voters, they have been uninterested in voting for him for issues. However he had each MVP season this yr. What I’m most proud is to have was a frontrunner. I am not speaking solely in regards to the flooring, however from the ground.”
Antetokounmpo has obtained tons of praises in recent times for the way in which he has generally given lengthy, nicely thought out, from the center, to necessary questions in postgame information conferences. He handled a query in regards to the postgame brakes that concerned the daddy of Indiana Tyrese Haliburton, basically, who basically beat the antetokounpo on the bottom just a few seconds after the ultimate noise together with his conventional grace and appeal. It was not the primary time that Fretokounmpo discovered the fitting phrases in an necessary second.
One other necessary second is right here. One other huge query. Keep or go away?