14 hours ago
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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s household location successful Greece has a balcony that gives him what helium describes arsenic an unthinkable view of Athens. The nighttime regular when he’s there typically goes similar this: drawback some fruit, caput outside, regard retired astatine his homeland, fto clip conscionable drift away.
In those moments, his caput ever seems to wander.
“I conscionable sit retired there and think astir what’s important for me,” Antetokounmpo said. “And each clip I travel to the conclusion: legacy. What I’m going to beryllium remembered for.”
Regardless of what happens betwixt present – the start of his 13th play successful the NBA, each with the Milwaukee Bucks – and whenever Antetokounmpo decides that his playing days are over, overmuch of that bequest is already secure.
He’s won a championship. He’s been an MVP. He’s been an NBA Finals MVP. He’s a perennial All-Star and All-NBA pick. He’s 1 of lone 7 players calved somewhere different than the 50 states of the US to person reached the 20,000-point mark. This summer, helium led Greece to its archetypal EuroBasket medal successful 16 years.
But helium wants more. Much more. Despite the resume, which is elite by immoderate standard, Antetokounmpo doesn’t think helium would beryllium considered an all-time large yet. And that’s why connected those Athens nights, while enjoying that sheet of fruit, helium convinces himself there’s much to accomplish.
“Giannis is 1 of the champion players successful the world. We think he’s the champion subordinate successful the world,” Bucks wide manager Jon Horst said. “Every clip you person a play with him, you think you person a accidental to win.”
Those aren’t conscionable words. Over the past 8 seasons combined, there person been 152 players who person appeared successful astatine slightest 400 regular-season games. Of those, nary subordinate has been a winner much regularly than Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks’ winning percent successful regular play games where he’s played implicit that span is .671 – the champion successful the NBA. (Over those regular seasons, Boston has a .670 winning percent when Jayson Tatum is successful the lineup, Philadelphia has a .670 winning percent when Joel Embiid plays, and James Harden’s teams – the 76ers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn and Houston – besides person a .670 winning percent when helium has played.)
“Everything Giannis says is astir the team and astir being a amended team, so I don’t person to bash that,” Bucks manager Doc Rivers said. “Every portion of Giannis says that. If you work his comments this summer, each remark he’s made is astir being successful Milwaukee and loving this city.”
And yet, the speculation is changeless that Antetokounmpo’s story mightiness not extremity successful Milwaukee.
Trade talks are a changeless successful the NBA, and to beryllium fair, there’s thing stopping immoderate team from calling different team to inquire astir what it whitethorn take to get someone who happens to beryllium connected their roster. It is definite that Antetokounmpo’s sanction has been successful trade talks. It is besides definite that the Bucks – if they ever bash determination him elsewhere – won’t simply springiness him away.
“I’ve said this galore times: I want to beryllium successful situations [where] I tin win and present I’m here,” Antetokounmpo said. “I judge successful this team. I judge successful my teammates. I’m present to pb this team to wherever we tin go. And it’s decidedly going to beryllium hard. We’re going to take it time by day, but I’m here. So, each the different other stuff does not matter.”
That sounds bully for Milwaukee.
And then helium added, “Now, successful six oregon 7 months I alteration my mind, I think that’s human, too.”
That doesn’t sound so bully for Milwaukee.
He continued, “My determination today is that I’m present and I’m committed to this team.”
Which sounds bully for Milwaukee again.
The ellipse of will-he-or-won’t-he will ne'er end, astatine slightest until such clip that Antetokounmpo really gets traded (possible), leaves arsenic a escaped cause (unlikely) oregon retires (inevitable, but not expected anytime soon).
He could decorativeness his vocation successful Milwaukee. He could decorativeness his vocation successful Greece. He mightiness find himself portion of whatever caller European league the NBA is trying to motorboat successful 2027 oregon 2028 – astir apt 2027.
For now, it’s Milwaukee. He’s 1 of lone two players who person averaged astatine slightest 30 points a crippled successful each of the past three seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder being the other. His numbers will support climbing, his bequest will support growing.
“It’s not astir stats nary more,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s astir however tin we bash large things connected the court. How tin we enactment ourselves successful a presumption that we tin win accolades arsenic a team. And that’s what’s left. Every hoops player, each athlete, starts a vocation and they person this quest of what they want to execute and what to beryllium remembered for. And I think astatine this point, I’ve accomplished everything that I’ve enactment my caput to.”
He was asked if helium sees himself successful the aforesaid class arsenic the undisputed greats successful NBA history, the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a fewer others. The truly elite.
Antetokounmpo didn’t hesitate earlier answering.
“That’s the goal,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m not there yet. They’re similar top 10 all-time. I’ve got a batch of work to do. But I’m going to beryllium there.” [AP]
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