There has been a lot of talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo over the past few weeks, and he himself has also spoken a lot. It’s a saga that is unlikely to end anytime soon, even though the Greek is handling it as best he can.
Will he stay? Will he leave? This question has preoccupied the NBA for months and will continue to be a hot topic this summer. Some may remember the “Dwightmare” almost 15 years ago, when Dwight Howard simply couldn’t or wouldn’t decide for many months whether he wanted to remain loyal to the Orlando Magic. Giannis Antetokounmpo finds himself in a similar situation. If he really wanted to leave, he would no longer be a Milwaukee Bucks player today. That’s how the business works, and the Greek player has earned this status in his nearly 13 years in the NBA. He is not just one, he is THE franchise icon. What Dirk Nowitzki is in Dallas, the Greek Freak is in Milwaukee. And Milwaukee is also home for Giannis.
In an emotional interview, he explained that he got married there, his children were born there, and his father was buried there. It’s not about the Bucks, he said, but about the city he calls home. That’s understandable and one of Giannis’ greatest strengths, which also makes him so popular with fans.
Antetokounmpo knows how to express himself; he finds the right words to express his emotions and convey them. It’s not hard to empathize with him and understand the inner struggle he may be having with himself. There are two sides to this: the athletic and the human.
Is the grass really greener on the other side? Giannis could ask Damian Lillard, for example, whether it was worth leaving Portland. Of course, the situation is frustrating; athletically, the Bucks are in their worst position in ten years, with little hope of improvement, but is it really worth turning his whole life upside down for?
A trade means moving or being separated from his family for a while, and Giannis knows that. That’s why he asked the rhetorical question: “On what planet, on what earth would anyone want to leave this place voluntarily?” Yes, why indeed?
Giannis: The ambitious one
Athletes are ambitious creatures, which is why they made it to the NBA. That’s why the skinny Greek who sold watches on the street with his family in his youth has become a Hulk-like figure who can dominate every game on the court. The best athletes strive for maximum success, which is why they are the best in their field. From a purely athletic standpoint, the situation is clear. Giannis must leave Milwaukee, and the only logical move for the Bucks would be to trade Antetokounmpo. Will it happen in the summer? That remains to be seen. There will continue to be headlines upon headlines. Dozens of insiders will speculate, and the trade machine will be red hot. That’s how show business works in the NBA, where the human aspect often gets neglected, and we are all more or less to blame for that. Perhaps even Giannis himself, who has stirred things up here and there. You could hold that against him, but then again, you couldn’t really. Antetokounmpo showed a certain class by granting interviews to the two local Bucks reporters so close to the deadline and describing his view of things honestly and emotionally.
Giannis: It starts all over again in the summer
What superstar does that? He didn’t have to do it. It shows once again his human side and his connection to the region. And more importantly, you shouldn’t take every word at face value. No one can always keep their word, especially when they have to speak in public every day. So when Giannis says he would never ask for a trade, that may be true for now, but it doesn’t have to be true forever. Opinions change, life situations change. This applies to the firefighter from Wanne-Eickel or the basketball player from Milwaukee. In the summer, the questions will come up again, and it will likely dominate the headlines once more. The drama will start all over again, whether Giannis wants it to or not.