The discourse surrounding “loyalty” and superstars in the NBA has been mixed and ever-polarising. Some stars are criticized for being loyal to a flaw while others are picked apart for moving to greener pastures.
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And then there are some who have managed to find the right balance and escape all such narratives. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of those lucky few. A few years back, there was a lot of clamor surrounding his impending free agency. But Giannis stayed in Milwaukee and more importantly, Giannis won in Milwaukee.
A lot of questions regarding what next for Giannis was shut down since. While there were rumors and calls for Giannis to leave the small market of Wisconsin to win, the fact that he managed to win with the very team that drafted him left all those who called for the virtues of a move dead.
Now that he’s achieved all that is possible and established himself as arguably the greatest Bucks player of all time, naturally, there have been attempts to make him embrace change. But the two-time MVP came out on live television and promised his loyalty to Milwaukee till the point the franchise has enough of him. Which, safe to say, might be never.
Giannis stated that he would love to stay at Milwaukee for as long as the Bucks want him to.
The Bucks star promised his loyalty to the team that drafted him in as many words. Being someone who came from the most humble background imaginable, Giannis’ declaration of loyalty to the organization that believed in him at a time many wouldn’t have is indicative of his character in many ways.
“I wear my heart on my sleeve and I really appreciate people that gave me an opportunity to change my life. My parents’ life, my kids’ life. I don’t take that for granted. I don’t take that lightly” explained Giannis of how grateful he is to the Bucks franchise.
Giannis went on to elaborate on his decision-making behind staying at Milwaukee and on his future plans with the Bucks. The two-time MVP stated that “The first time I was able to leave as a free agent and join another team, I chose to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks. Because they helped me, they got me through all this process. When I was eighteen years old, I knew no better. I will always have that in my heart. As long as I’m healthy and as long as they want me to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks organization, I would love to stay there”.
The Greek Freak has only hit his prime and has a lot of basketball left in him. Any prospective suitors would have been left dejected with this show of loyalty by the Bucks star.
One club men aren’t very common in today’s NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo might just become an addition to that list of fiercely loyal NBA superstars.
Giannis is one of only seven active NBA players to have played 10 or more NBA seasons to represent only one franchise.
As stated earlier, loyalty is a tough commodity to find in the league and this stat highlights the same. With player movement and freedom at an all-time high, one club men have become an extremely rare commodity in the league.
It is even tougher for smaller market teams to retain players. Among the active seven-man list referred to here, only Giannis, Damian Lillard, and Bradley Beal suit up for small-market teams.
The rest of the list is dominated by the Golden State Warriors. After all, they do have Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson as one club men. The list is completed by Miami Heat‘s Udonis Haslem who is in his 20th season with the Heat.
If Giannis’ words are true, there won’t be any efforts from him to move from Milwaukee. And for all he has done and continues to do, the Bucks certainly won’t be dealing Giannis away either. Multiple years of contention and hope might just become the norm in the Wisconsin area.
Also read: Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to commit $1 million to mental health services in Milwaukee
