Giannis Antetokounmpo reaffirms his long-term loyalty to Milwaukee Bucks

From the moment he was taken with the 15th overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo has always shown his loyalty to the franchise.

The Greek Freak has never been shy about letting it be known that he believes Milwaukee is the best place for him to continue playing and ultimately settle down with his family. Although there was a quote earlier this season stemming from Antetokounmpo’s interview with GQ Magazine that raised some eyebrows where he said, “the next challenge might not be here,” everyone in Milwaukee knows where his heart lies.

Antetokounmpo has confirmed this notion time and time again, but he made it clear once again in a recent sit down with The Atheltic’s Eric Nehm (subscription required.) The pair talked about how Antetokounmpo is ranked as the 24th greatest player in NBA history on The Athletic’s all-time list, which is outright incredible. Amidst their conversation, the 27-year-old reaffirmed his desire to be in the league for 20 years and how he can hopefully play all 20 of those years with the Bucks.

Safe to say that Bucks fans are hoping for the same thing after his first eight years with the team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has reached insurmountable heights with the Milwaukee Bucks and he continues climbing higher

Currently playing in his ninth season in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo has already etched his name alongside the greatest players to ever suit up in this league. His résumé is incredible, loaded with achievements from top to bottom. Five All-Star appearances, five All-NBA selections, two regular season MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year, and of course, one Finals MVP following last year’s triumphant title-winning season. The craziest part about it all is that Antetokounmpo just turned 27-years-old last month. No player in league history has had a résumé as star-studded as his at that age.

Antetokounmpo’s tenure with the Bucks has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, going from the worst team in the league during his rookie season to being champions eight years later. There are few people who could have predicted that accordingly when a franchise that seemed destined to relocate elsewhere took a massive swing on an unknown prospect out of Greece in 2013. Yet, it all worked out, and this team still has obstacles to overcome and goals to achieve.

Although Antetokounmpo and the Bucks finally buried the notion last season that they could not win a championship with the pieces they had in place, they will spend little time gloating about it. As Antetokounmpo told Nehm, he is looking ahead to what comes next rather than reflecting on what they achieved last year. No one has ever won one title and felt complacent moving forward. They want to win more. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks want to win more, and they certainly want them sooner rather than later.

As long as Antetokounmpo is leading the way, the Bucks will remain a title contender. He is having yet another sensational season this year as he is arguably the frontrunner to win his third MVP at this point, but there is still plenty of season left to be played. Truly, while regular season awards are nice and undoubtedly look great in the trophy case, Antetokounmpo’s sights are set on the big accolades. He wants to be remembered as a winner, and while that one Finals MVP trophy is an achievement that most can only dream of, who would not want to add a few more if possible?

As he looks to continue ascending among the greats, Antetokounmpo wants to do it in Milwaukee.