Giannis Antetokounmpo Picks Rival Jalen Brunson’s Knicks as 2026 Champions: “Basketball is Like Momentum”

Jalen Brunson and his New York Knicks are getting ready to face the winner of the WCF in the NBA Finals. With that, some, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, regret not having the opportunity to do that themselves.

The Eastern Conference was wide open after injuries to some players left last year’s postseason teams in trouble. In fact, the Bucks should have been one of the teams to battle in the postseason if not for the Greek Freak’s injuries.

Now, since that option no longer exists, the superstar is out having fun in his offseason, and one of the first things he did was appear on a live stream with Marlon.

The two were initially talking about the upcoming Champions League Final, but then they got into talking about the upcoming NBA Finals. After Marlon mentioned that he thinks the Knicks will win it, Giannis Antetokounmpo said:

I think the Knicks will win the whole thing. Because basketball is like momentum. I think they won 11 in a row… The city rallies behind them.

Giannis Antetokounmpo said

The two-time league MVP believes that the 11-game winning run will propel the Knicks to upset whoever they face in the Finals. Momentum is everything in basketball, and the New York-based team has it in abundance.

Giannis Antetokounmpo gives Marlon his NBA Finals pick, saying he has the Knicks winning it all, then names Celtics and 76ers fans as the most passionate in the league 👀 pic.twitter.com/uoysJbOMpq

— Chip 🍪 (@ChipGotIt_) May 29, 2026

The way Jalen Brunson and his teammates dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers in eight straight games is enough proof of how good they are.

It seems the Bucks star is pointing out what a run can do, and how, when their passionate fans get behind them, it can turn into something that could be labeled as unstoppable.

Giannis Antetokounmpo moving to East rival could change dynamic next season

Even though he is still recovering from his injury, the competitor in Giannis Antetokounmpo might be ruing a chance to fight for another NBA championship.

But with the way the Milwaukee Bucks imploded last season, there are rumors that they finally may be interested in parting with their leading superstar.

This postseason, I think, has completely reframed the trade discussions for Giannis because of how good Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are… I would look at a team like Orlando. They are close, they made a move already… They have some good young pieces.

Ramona Shelburne said on The Rich Eisen Show

Ramona Shelburne and her ESPN colleagues have been trolled for their reports on the father of four’s trade rumors last season. But that has not stopped her from revealing what she has heard.

"This postseason, I think, has completely reframed the trade discussions for Giannis because of how good Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs are."@ramonashelburne thinks there may be more teams interested in Giannis after watching Wemby in the playoffs 👀

(via @RichEisenShow) pic.twitter.com/IiXju4FP6H

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 29, 2026

She believes that the Orlando Magic could package a trade that could interest the Bucks, and that will vault them into championship contention.

If not, there are still the Miami Heat who could restart negotiations, and maybe the Cleveland Cavaliers. The latter did not look anywhere close to being a contender when the Knicks embarrassingly swept them. A move for Giannis Antetokounmpo can change that.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future depends on how Bucks attack free agency

Once the NBA Finals end, the focus will shift towards next season. For a team such as the Milwaukee Bucks, their work starts immediately, as they hold the 10th pick in this year’s draft.

Who they select will show Giannis Antetokounmpo how serious they are about building a contender around him. Now that Doc Rivers is gone, the franchise is going to see some schematic changes with Taylor Jenkins heading them.

Therefore, how the 2021 Finals MVP fits could also be another concern. However, what is most important is how the Bucks attack free agency.

They have a bunch of players set to become free agents and not enough cap space. They need players whom Antetokounmpo believes he can contend with. Otherwise, he might not be able to keep his intention to stay in Milwaukee for much longer.

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