WI Sports HeroicsWI Sports Heroics

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot
    Green Bay Packers teammates Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard, Allen Lazard Injury

    Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Suffers Injury During New York Jets OTA’s

    May 23, 2023
    New York Jets Aaron Rodgers

    New York Jets Fans Freaking Out After Already Losing Aaron Rodgers In OTAs To Injury

    May 23, 2023
    Green Bay Packers, Packers 53 man roster

    Green Bay Packers: Recent Report Says Former NFL Executive Has a Promising Prediction for Team in 2023

    May 23, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Trending
    • Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Suffers Injury During New York Jets OTA’s
    • New York Jets Fans Freaking Out After Already Losing Aaron Rodgers In OTAs To Injury
    • Green Bay Packers: Recent Report Says Former NFL Executive Has a Promising Prediction for Team in 2023
    • Aaron Rodgers Suffers Apparent Injury During New York Jets OTA’s
    • NFL Makes Major Special Teams Rule Change Affecting the Packers
    • Green Bay’s Infrastructure For 2025 NFL Draft Sparks Nasty Online Debate
    • How Does The New Thursday Night Football Flex Scheduling Affect The Green Bay Packers?
    • Milwaukee Bucks Insider Provides Answer to Question of If Giannis Antetokounmpo Signed Off on Firing Mike Budenholzer
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Mark Mayfield
    • Our Writers
    • Store
    Facebook Twitter RSS
    WI Sports HeroicsWI Sports Heroics
    SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE
    • Packers
      • Aaron Rodgers News
      • Jordan Love News
      • Packers News
      • Packers Rumors
      • Packers History
    • Bucks
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo News
      • Bucks News
      • Bucks Rumors
    • Brewers
      • Brewers News
      • Brewers Rumors
    • Badgers
      • Wisconsin Badgers Football
      • Wisconsin Badgers Basketball
      • Wisconsin Badgers Women’s Basketball
      • Wisconsin Badgers Volleyball
      • Wisconsin Badgers Hockey
      • Wisconsin Badgers Wrestling
    • Marquette
      • Marquette Basketball
    • Draft
      • 2023 NFL Draft Big Board & Scouting Reports
      • 2023 NFL Mock Drafts
    • Milkmen
      • Milwaukee Milkmen News
      • Milwaukee Milkmen Rumors
    • Podcasts
      • CheeseDads Sports
      • Packers Podcast
      • Wickett On Wisconsin
    • Betting
      • Ohio
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • New York
      • Michigan
      • Arizona
    • Fantasy
    • NFL
    WI Sports HeroicsWI Sports Heroics
    Home»Sports»Bucks»Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Shocking Revelation of How He Almost Retired in 2020
    Bucks

    Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Shocking Revelation of How He Almost Retired in 2020

    Robin AdamsBy Robin AdamsApril 12, 2023Updated:April 24, 2023No Comments4 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo almost walked away from the game in 2020
    May 15, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) sits on the bench during the final seconds of their loss to the Boston Celtics in game seven of the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Where would the Milwaukee Bucks be without Giannis Antetokounmpo? The two-time MVP led the team to their first NBA Championship in 50 years when the Bucks defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 2021 NBA Finals. Giannis famously dropped 50 points to clinch the final game and Finals MVP. Already he is the Bucks’ all-time leader in most statistical categories. In short, Milwaukee likely would not have a team, or at least a competitive one, without him.

    According to an interview that Giannis did with Lori Nickel of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, however, the Bucks were close to losing him at one point.

    The Milwaukee Bucks Almost Lost Giannis in 2020

    Milwaukee Bucks
    Mar 24, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts to a three point shot on the bench against the Utah Jazz during the second half at Vivint Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-USA TODAY Sports

    Giannis is never one to shy away from sharing his feelings. The COVID-19 pandemic mixed with the pressure of being in the limelight took a toll on his mental health. So much so that he nearly walked away from basketball for good, even after signing the largest contract in NBA history. Giannis told Nickel:

    “If something doesn’t make me happy, I don’t do it. I don’t want to do it. I’m just going to stay home, stay with my kids, stay with my family and try to be happy. I don’t care.

    “And this was right when I signed the largest contract in NBA history.

    “In 2020, I was ready to walk away from the game. I had that conversation – yes – with the front office.

    “And, you know, very normally, everybody is looking at me like I was crazy. ‘You just signed the largest contract in NBA history and you want to walk away from the game and all that money…?’

    “Mannnnn, you can take that money and shove it into your…”

    “But. I don’t care about that. I care about joy. I’m a joyful person. My father didn’t have nothing; he had us. He was the richest person on earth because he had his kids. He had the beautiful family; he had nothing. This – to me – doesn’t mean nothing.”

    So what convinced Giannis to stay? Addressing his mental health and talking to a therapist:

    “I kept talking with this (counselor). He helped me a lot – not just being a better basketball player, being able to deal with it; but being a better partner, better father, better brother, better son. Better person. Being not locked into myself, being able to give people what I feel. Because at one point, I was trying to get away from everybody. And that’s not me; I’m very social. I like to interact with other people.

    “And I started talking to him and he helped me. Then I had this event in Saint-Tropez with Kevin Love. And we talked about it.”

    Kevin Love, of course, was one of the first professional athletes to share publicly that he has depression and anxiety, conditions that many Americans live with every single day.

    We can be thankful that Giannis stayed in Milwaukee and playing basketball. He has taken basketball in this city to levels it had not seen in decades.

    But we can and should be more thankful for Giannis the person. Mental health struggles are a real issue in our society. We are thankful that he got the help that he needed, and we should be grateful that he is willing to share his struggles. The more prominent voices there are talking about mental health, the quicker we can remove the stigma that surrounds it.

    Mayfield Sports Marketing

    For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content

    Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!

    Giannis Antetokounmpo
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Robin Adams
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Robin Adams is the co-owner of Wisconsin Sports Heroics. He has two Bachelor Degrees (Secondary Education and History) from Concordia University Wisconsin and a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from UWM. Robin spent 11 years as a middle school teacher before becoming a full-time sports journalist. Robin's work for WSH has been featured on YardBarker, Bleacher Report, and MSN.

    Related Posts

    Giannis Antetokounmpo thanks head coach Mike Budenholzer

    Milwaukee Bucks Insider Provides Answer to Question of If Giannis Antetokounmpo Signed Off on Firing Mike Budenholzer

    May 23, 2023
    Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo

    Milwaukee Bucks Named In Massive Trade That Lands 3X All-Star

    May 22, 2023
    Milwaukee Bucks Zach Lavine Jrue Holiday

    Milwaukee Bucks Named in Blockbuster Trade for Exciting 2-Time All-Star

    May 22, 2023
    The Milwaukee Bucks are set to interview Scott Brooks

    Milwaukee Bucks Announce Head Coaching Finalists

    May 22, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    TRENDING
    Green Bay Packers teammates Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard, Allen Lazard Injury

    Former Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Suffers Injury During New York Jets OTA’s

    May 23, 2023
    New York Jets Aaron Rodgers

    New York Jets Fans Freaking Out After Already Losing Aaron Rodgers In OTAs To Injury

    May 23, 2023
    Green Bay Packers, Packers 53 man roster

    Green Bay Packers: Recent Report Says Former NFL Executive Has a Promising Prediction for Team in 2023

    May 23, 2023
    New York Jets Aaron Rodgers

    Aaron Rodgers Suffers Apparent Injury During New York Jets OTA’s

    May 23, 2023
    NFL Commissioner

    NFL Makes Major Special Teams Rule Change Affecting the Packers

    May 23, 2023
    Green Bay's infrastructure

    Green Bay’s Infrastructure For 2025 NFL Draft Sparks Nasty Online Debate

    May 23, 2023
    WI Sports Heroics
    Facebook Twitter RSS
    • Contact Us
    • Advertisement
    • Privacy Policy
    • Store
    © 2023 WISportsHeroics All Rights Reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.