Breathe a sigh of relief, Milwaukee Bucks fans; Giannis Antetokounmpo is here to stay. The Greek Freak shared a message to the city of Milwaukee in blog form on EuroHoops.net:
I see guys like Tim Duncan, Kobe, who’ve stayed in the same city and the same team for decades. I don’t like changes in my life. I believe that Milwaukee, as an organization but also as a city in general, can make you a better person as well as a better player.
There’s not much to do there other than think about basketball and that’s what I need. I might go to the movies, out for a meal and that’s all. I always end up back in the arena again, where I like and love being. The closest place to my house is our coaching center. A two-minute drive. The best!
I’m not interested in representing a bigger city, or a larger market, that for many people might be more important to the NBA. I want to achieve something similar to what – for example – Tim Duncan has done in San Antonio or Kobe in Los Angeles. To stay for many years, to succeed in Milwaukee and then for young guys that want to play with me to come here and all of us together to share the highest goals.
…
Giannis Antetokounmpo feels that he’s going to win a championship with the Bucks and that he will stay in Milwaukee for many years!
‘I’ve become very attached to Milwaukee. The thought that I might not win a championship in my career doesn’t even exist in my mind. I will win at some point! I will do everything to win a championship.’
I believe that this is how many of my teammates also think and feel. It’s not only me who thinks in this way. We hope that one day it’s going to be us going after the title.
I step on the court and I say to myself, ‘one day there’s going to be a banner here from our championship’.
And I feel that as an instinct, but I also believe it. When I was younger I used to tell my friends that one day I would play in the NBA. I had it in my mind. I thought about it all the time, I was certain.
Now I’m thinking that some day I’ll have the championship trophy in my hands and I can’t imagine experiencing something like this with a different team.
To see my jersey hanging from the rafters of the new arena!
You never know what can happen in life and we all know that the NBA is a business.
Since my second season here, though, even when I hadn’t shown many things and I was still… dangling, I was thinking that one day I’m going to do so much for Milwaukee that when my “journey” comes to an end, they’ll hang my jersey number on the rafters of our new arena.
It’s true that my dream is to win a title in the NBA with the Bucks. But I don’t see that as an unattainable dream.
I feel it as a fact that has to become a reality and I know full well the process I have to go through in order for all of us together to get there one day.
Antetokounmpo went on to thank the city of Milwaukee for all of the support that has been shown to him and his brothers –the ‘Antetkounbros.’
Antetokounmpo is unquestionably one of the brightest young talents in the NBA. He’s 6’11”, can run point, and uses his combination of length, speed, and athleticism in a way that has never before been seen.
Antetkounmpo is just 21 years old, and has already improved vastly since his rookie season. This past year he looked bigger and stronger, and had easily the best season of his young career. In 80 games for the Bucks, he averaged 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 50.6% from the floor. All of those numbers marked career-highs for the young point-forward.
