Giannis Antetokounmpo staying with Bucks impeded chance to join basketball’s greats

The Milwaukee Bucks brought in Damian Lillard so that they could have a second superstar alongside franchise stalwart Giannis Antetokounmpo. This trade came about after the Greek Freak asked the franchise to bring in a superstar.

They played better this season, but then Lillard was diagnosed with a blood clot. Some losses meant, they ended up in fifth to face off against an Indiana Pacers team who were not significantly better than them. This gave the Bucks a good chance to win the series and move on to the second round.

Lillard returned after the first loss, much to the excitement of Bucks fans. They lost Game 2 as well, but headed home knowing they could use that excitement from their fans to turn the series around. The team kept their focus and won Game 3 to set up a possible series-tying Game 4 battle.

But six minutes into Game 4, Damian Lillard left the court. There are concerns that he has torn his Achilles, which means he will not be able to play for the rest of the year. With that, the playoff and NBA title hopes those two superstars had have seemingly been thrown out the window.

Now, the focus comes back onto Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future. This season ends another chance for arguably one of the best players in all of basketball, a chance to further cement his legacy. But the question that really needs to be asked is if he has wasted his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted to create legacy with the Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo knows all too well that the Milwaukee Bucks took a chance on a scrawny, tall Greek teenager when they selected him with the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. He then developed over the years to become one of the best players in all of basketball.

After becoming league MVP in 2019, he was not satisfied and repeated that next year, along with the Defensive Player of the Year award. He then led his Bucks to win the second title in franchise history. He added the NBA Finals MVP award that year and cemented himself as one of the best in the world.

The next two seasons, Antetokounmpo could not lead the Bucks past the second round. The latter ended embarrassingly in a 1-4 loss to the Miami Heat. After that series, there was a lot of confusion surrounding his future.

He had a chance to leave even though the Bucks had tabled a massive contract extension. Many suitors wanted to give up everything to get their hands on him. But he decided to stay put and asked the franchise to get him a superstar. His motive was to create his own legacy rather than chase titles.

Further playoff heartbreak and franchise mistakes

The Milwaukee Bucks did not want to lose Giannis Antetokounmpo and brokered a deal with both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns to land Damian Lillard. They also brought in Adrian Griffin to replace Mike Budenholzer.

Despite Lillard’s presence, the Greek Freak was unhappy. His constant clashes with Griffin eventually cost him his job. Then, a few weeks later, Doc Rivers came in. The championship-winning head coach did manage to improve the team’s chemistry, but it was not enough.

The Bucks were a shadow of their championship-winning past, and Antetokounmpo was still being touted as a player who could ask to leave. But he stayed on and decided to give his partnership with Lillard and Rivers another shot.

This season, other than the Lillard blood clot incident, it has been evident that the Milwaukee Bucks are not at the same level as the reigning champion Boston Celtics or even any of the top three teams from either conference.

The Greek Freak could finally ask out

Now, after Damian Lillard’s possible season-ending injury and their 1-3 record against the Indiana Pacers, it is inevitable that Giannis Antetokounmpo will end his season early. That will make it four straight years of heartache for a player who could have been dominating the league.

In all these years, he has been rumored to ask for a trade. But now, he knows that it will take a year for Lillard to return. This could again prove costly, as every other playoff team is surging ahead of them. Therefore, he could finally look to move on.

The 30-year-old has seemingly lost four prime years of his NBA career. He was dominating the league just like how Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain once did. All he needed was a good set of teammates around him who could help him exploit his skills.

But the Milwaukee Bucks have not been able to help him on his path. A similar situation could be playing out with the Denver Nuggets, as a frustrated Nikola Jokic could ask to leave. A franchise cannot keep making mistakes that would hinder a top player’s career.

In Antetokounmpo’s case, he might have delayed his chances of being great. Had he left two seasons ago, he could have dictated where he wanted to go. That could have helped him win more NBA titles. At the end of the day, those titles are the only stat that can help him sit at the same table as O’Neal and the other greats.

Also Read:

• Terence Crawford drops LeBron James truth among Lakers fans: “Didn’t even want him”
• Nikola Jokic gives advice to Kawhi Leonard as rival overcomes hate: “Not give a damn”