Giannis Antetokounmpo puts NBA future in doubt with honest contract admission
Giannis Antetokounmpo has plunged his future into doubt by declaring he will not sign an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks if the franchise does not appear set to win another NBA championship.
Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA and many consider the forward to be the most dominant offensive power in the league while also an elite defender. The Greek star is a two-time MVP and he became the third player in league history to win both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season.
He is in esteemed company to win the two top individual accolades in a single campaign, with the list reading just Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994). Antetokounmpo’s crowning moment came in the 2020-21 season, though, as he led the Bucks to a first NBA championship since the days of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971.
In just a few weeks, Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign a three-year extension worth approximately $173 million (£137m) - but he is in no rush to put pen to paper. He believes it does not make sense to agree to stay in Milwaukee this summer amid concerns over the direction of the franchise leaving it uncertain where his long-term future lies in the NBA.
“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo told the New York Times. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.
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“I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”
Last season, the Bucks topped the Eastern Conference only to lose in the first round of the playoffs to the Miami Heat, who would go on to fall to the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Antetokounmpo could do little as he struggled with an injury, but the organisation still made changes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won Finals MVP as the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA championship - and he wants to win another (Getty Images)Despite losing his brother in a car crash during the series loss to Miami, Mike Budenholzer - who led Milwaukee to the 2021 championship win - was controversially fired by the Bucks with former Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin installed as head coach. The change in leadership is ultimately a factor in Antetokounmpo’s uncertainty.
Back in 2020, Antetokounmpo - selected 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft - pledged his future to the franchise by signing a five-year, $228 million (£180m) extension. He hopes to play 20 seasons in the NBA and has spoken of his desire to do so with one team a la Kobe Bryant, but the Greek superstar is consumed by winning.
He added: “At the end of the day, being a winner, it’s over that goal. Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.”
Milwaukee will be desperate to retain Antetokounmpo’s services, particularly after his dominant play last season. He averaged a career-high 31.1 points per game to go with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.
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