At this point, there is no longer any doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo will leave the Milwaukee Bucks if the right opportunity comes along. The seven-time All-Star declared his loyalty to the team in a recent interview but at the same time, Antetokounmpo also said directly that he will jump ship if a championship is no longer within reach in Milwaukee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Reiterats Desire to Leave Milwaukee Bucks
This is not the first time Giannis has declared his intention to walk away from Milwaukee. The former back-to-back MVP doubled down on his claim in a recent podcast appearance, saying that he will take his talents to greener pastures if the right opportunity comes along:
“I’m a Milwaukee Buck, but most importantly I’m a winner,” he said. “I want to win. I have to do whatever it takes for me to win, and if there is a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien I have to take that better situation.”
The Bucks have to be reeling after receiving yet another strong warning from their cornerstone superstar, especially considering how they are already looking to pen him to what could be a record-breaking extension in the near future. At this point, that is clearly anything but a certainty.
Kendrick Perkins Calls Out Giannis Antetokounmpo
Unsurprisingly, there has been a lot of talk surrounding Antetokounmpo’s latest string of comments. One man who isn’t at all pleased with Giannis’ statement is former NBA champ turned ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins. As always, Big Perk did not hold back in criticizing the Bucks talisman:
“If I’m Giannis’ teammates, I feel a little bit disrespected because the Bucks have done everything in their power to make sure that they put the pieces around Giannis to be successful,” Kendrick Perkins said on ESPN (h/t Ryan Bologna of ClutchPoints). “I mean, Jesus Christ they had the best record in the league last season. They just came up short to the Miami Heat and it was a failure, but at the end of the day, when it comes down to being aggressive in the offseason, then the Bucks make the trade to get Jrue Holiday. I mean like, think about the pieces that they added, they added Malik Beasley this offseason which I love, they signed back Jae Crowder, you still have Bobby Portis.”
Well, the man has a point. It’s not as if Milwaukee is at the bottom of the barrel and isn’t competing for a championship year after year. In fact, they had a real shot at another title this past season had it not been for Antetokounmpo’s back injury in the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat.
“You have a championship-caliber team and a team that has shown you time and time again that we’re willing to jump off the porch for you,” Perkins continued. “So I really don’t get where this energy is coming from. I understand sometimes, but Giannis you don’t have to have a negotiation type tactic because he’s gonna get the super max or whatever the Bucks could offer him or any team regardless.”
I honestly don’t think this is a negotiation tactic from Antetokounmpo because as Perkins said, the Bucks are going to give him as much money as he wants regardless. I believe this is Giannis being brutally honest — as he always has been — about his future with the organization and how he really intends to leave if his conditions are not met. I just don’t see this man as the bluffing type.
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