Giannis Antetokounmpo ended all the speculations of him leaving the Milwaukee Bucks and increase his chance of winning NBA titles by joining up with a stronger team. The Greek Freak agreed to extend his stay with the franchise for another five years and the supermax contract entitles him to a whopping $228 million windfall.
The amount that Antetokounmpo stands to collect over the next few years is the biggest in the league's history but the staggering pile of money is hardly the focus of the news stories. What appeared to be more earth-shaking is the 26-year-old superstar's display of commitment with the organization that trusted him and saw him explode in the NBA.
Antetokounmpo's entry to the league in 2013 was devoid of the level of attention that he attracts today. He was No. 15 overall and it took a while before the Athens native found his. The Bucks star only started to flourish on his third year, and when his trajectory pointed to the north, there was no turning back.
Most notably, according to ESPN, Milwaukee believed in Antetokounmpo and the two-time MVP is returning the favor. He is sticking with the club that is largely labeled as a "small market" despite the expectations that he will be gunning for the better-known organizations.
In his social media post, the superstar explained his decision: "This is my home, this is my city ... I'm blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let's make these years count. The show goes on, let's get it."
The signing effectively put a stop to all the wild talks that Antetokounmpo will elect a move away from Wisconsin and follow the path that other stars like LeBron James and Kevin Durant took before him. For the teams thought to be trading for the four-time All-Star, among them the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, they need to wait a bit longer to have another shot.
Antetokounmpo's supermax has an opt-out after the third year so it will be some time before he gets to make another big decision.
Meanwhile, The King welcomed the news that his supposed heir-apparent is not switching sides in the coming years. James said he is happy that Antetokounmpo is deeply committed to Milwaukee's cause, and his sentiment, according to Fadeaway World, is shared by a great deal of NBA stars.
In applauding Antetokounmpo's decision, James also addressed the talks that the young superstar's situation was similar to his. The Lakers superstar maintained there is no parallel at all.
He explained that the Bucks are a strong squad and with newly acquired assets to support Antetokounmpo, the opportunity is there for the Greek to have a taste of winning the NBA crown. And that was not the case with his first years at Cleveland, James said.
