Giannis Antetokounmpo to EXIT NBA? Bucks superstar ‘open’ to playing in Saudi Arabia

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the superstar from Milwaukee, has mentioned that he is willing to play in Saudi Arabia should the opportunity arise.

Giannis Antetokounmpo to EXIT NBA? Bucks superstar ‘open’ to playing in Saudi Arabia

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Credits: SI)

Soccer stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar Jr., and Karim Benzema have signed massive deals with clubs in Saudi Arabia. Recently, another soccer star, Kylian Mbappe, was offered to play with Al-Hilal for one year and was presented with a contract worth $776 million. He would have been a free agent afterward and could play for any team he liked.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is a friend of PSG star Mbappe, was recently present to watch Nashville FC, a part owner of the team, take on Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the League Cup Final. He was asked by TMZ Sports if he would consider playing in Saudi Arabia at some point in his career, and Giannis expressed optimism about it.

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Giannis stated that he would join the Saudi Arabian League if a trade agreement could be reached between the NBA and the Saudi League. He said, “Of course, if the NBA worked out something like a trade between the NBA and the Saudi Arabia League, I’m there!”

In comparison to his soccer counterparts, Giannis has earned $188 million in his 10-year NBA career, whereas a player of his caliber in the Saudi Soccer league could earn that amount or more in a single year. Therefore, it makes sense for him to consider such a move if Saudi Arabia were to invest a similar amount of money in basketball.

Also Read:WATCH: NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo hits the ‘SIUU’ before Inter Miami’s League Cup final featuring Lionel Messi

NBA players have previously expressed their interest in playing in Saudi Arabia

NBA players have expressed interest to play in Saudi
Giannis (L), Mbappe (C), Lebron (R)

The Saudi Arabian soccer league has signed some of the biggest players available, instantly making their soccer league one of the most talked-about events in the world of sports. This is due to club owners granting stars significant concessions and bringing their brand and talent to Saudi Arabia.

When news of Mbappe’s offer sheet was reported on Twitter, it left everyone flabbergasted, especially NBA players. Given that the offered salary to Mbappe was reported at $776 million, comparing it to the total salary paid to NBA players in a year, it constitutes about 40% of the total payroll for all 450 players in the league. Hence, it was expected that the offer sheet would garner reactions from players.

Giannis, who is good friends with Mbappe, humorously mentioned that Al-Hilal could take him since he resembled Mbappe. LeBron James also expressed interest in joining the Saudi League, tweeting that he would head to Saudi Arabia when his agents receive a similar offer sheet for him.

If Saudi Arabia were to start offering salaries to NBA players comparable to those offered by soccer clubs, it could severely disrupt the competitiveness of the league.

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