“Cannot Be Compared to Hakeem Olajuwon”: Giannis Antetokounmpo Opened His Heart About Potential $146,363,028 Split With The Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo has put the Milwaukee Bucks on alert after talking about the possibility of parting ways with the franchise. During his recent appearance on the 48 Minutes podcast, Antetokounmpo deep-dived into his intentions of winning many more championships. The Greek Freak kept emphasizing on the importance of wanting the franchise to be equally as committed as he was. Even though he has three years left on his contract, worth $146,363,028, fans are getting worried about a potential split.

The 2020 Orlando Bubble was a disastrous moment for the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite being highly touted to win the prestigious Championship, Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. suffered a shocking 4-1 series loss against the Miami Heat. Since the second-round exit in the postseason, there was quite a bit of speculation about the two-time MVP’s future in the NBA. However, that very summer, Giannis put all rumors to rest by signing a massive five-year, $228,200,420 deal. A few months later, the European superstar led the organization to their first title win in 50 years.

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t satisfied with a single Championship

On the podcast appearance, Giannis Antetokounmpo made it crystal clear that he expected the Milwaukee Bucks to compete for a title. In case he doesn’t see the franchise being as committed to winning another title, as he was, Giannis would be open to the idea of relocating.

Antetokounmpo began his rant by expressing his desire to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy more than once. He did admit the 2021 title was a historic one. However, the power forward also wants to create “new memories”. Further, the 28-year-old dismissed any comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon, simply because the Houston Rockets legend has one more Championship than him.

“I’m tired of hearing the same story over and over again… I know we hadn’t won the Championship in 50 years. But at the end of the day, I want to create new memories. I want to win another Championship. We’re talking about Hakeem, he has two Championships. The moment I win a second Championship, then maybe I can be compared to Hakeem. Right now I cannot be compared to Hakeem. He has two, I have one”.

In a few days, Giannis will become eligible to sign a three-year, $173 million extension. However, Antetokounmpo admitted he won’t sign with the Bucks if he notices his team not being as devoted as him to lift another championship.

“As long as we are in for a Championship… We’re all good… But, the moment I feel like people are not as committed as I am to get that golden thing in the back, I am not [signing]… What matters at the end of the day is that thing [Larry O’Brien Trophy] right there.”

If Giannis were to part ways with the franchise it would be interesting to see the race between other franchises to acquire him. Perhaps, the Golden State Warriors, a team that Antetokounmpo has been heavily linked with, could create yet another superteam.

The Greek Freak wasn’t satisfied after winning his first title

After chasing the Larry O’Brien award for seven seasons, Giannis Antetokounmpo finally got his hands on the coveted trophy in 2021. Lodging a staggering 35.2/13/5 in the Finals, Antetokounmpo was rightly named as the Finals MVP.

Despite etching his name in the history books, the former Defensive Player of the Year was not satisfied. As revealed in an interview a few months after winning the 2021 title, Giannis was aiming to add more NBA Championships to his already-stacked resume.