“Giannis Antetokounmpo Is Doing What Kobe Bryant Did!”: Following $173,000,000 Refusal, Gilbert Arenas Uses Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson to Defend Bucks Star

Recently, Giannis Antetokounmpo made headlines when he hinted that he might not sign an extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. It took the NBA world by storm, with many discussing the potential implications of his statement. Former NBA superstar, Gilbert Arenas is one of the many. He spoke about the Greek Freak’s actions on his show, Gil’s Arena. Seeing as he refused a $173,000,000 extension, Arenas believes Giannis is taking the Kobe Bryant route, considering the Black Mamba once did something very similar.

Giannis’ reason for not signing the extension is two-pronged. The Bucks star revealed that he chose not to sign the $173,000,000 deal because it didn’t make sense “numbers-wise”. Additionally, he needs to know that everyone in the organization is on the same page. Specifically, if they’re ready to sacrifice it all for the sake of winning a championship. And, if that is not the case, then an extension is out of the question.

Gilbert Arenas defends Giannis Antetokounmpo and claims he is doing what Kobe Bryant did

Gilbert Arenas seems to have picked a side in the current saga involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Agent Zero has backed the Greek Freak for his decision to reject a $173,000,000 extension. He believes that Giannis is probably taking a page out of Kobe Bryant’s book, by making it clear that he does not want to stay on if the mindset isn’t “championship or bust”.

He went on to suggest that Giannis wants to make a legacy for himself, and he can’t do that with just one ring. Even going so far as to claim that the two-time MVP does not want to end up like Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley. Both of them had all the talent in the world but found themselves in organizations that failed to surround them with the right pieces to win a championship.

Drawing comparisons between Kobe and Giannis once again, Arenas pointed out that the Black Mamba did something similar in 2007. He recalled how Kobe demanded a trade after the Lakers let go of just about all the talent surrounding him. This forced the Lakers to bring in some big-time pieces, including Pau Gasol, who helped Kobe win two out of three straight Finals. Here is what Gilbert Arenas stated on the matter.

“He’s doing what Kobe did. ‘What are we doing? Are we on the same…Before I sign this thing, what are we doing here? I don’t want to be Allen Iverson! I don’t want to be Charles Barkley! Even though I got a ring, I want to win multiple because that’s what the legacy is built on. So, before I sign, we need to all sit-down and make sure we’re all going in the same direction!’. And, people don’t understand that when Kobe signed his extension and then they got rid of the team, that’s when he said in 2007, ‘I want a trade!'”

From an outsider’s perspective, Giannis’ decision makes a lot of sense. The Bucks were humiliated in last season’s Playoffs as they were eliminated by the eighth-seeded Miami Heat. So, it’s only natural that Antetokounmpo would want to make sure he will be contending for years to come before signing any long-term contract.

Despite having two more years left on his contract Giannis is attracting interest from the Lakers and Knicks

The NBA is a fickle business, and even though Giannis Antetokounmpo has two years left on his current deal, anything can happen. As such, there is already interest from the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. The 2025 free agency period will be one to look out for. If the Greek Freak were to turn down his player option, a number of teams would want to acquire his services.

Safe to say, they won’t be the only teams interested. In previous years, a plethora of options were available to Giannis. Teams like the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and perhaps every other contender will be out for his signature.

At the end of the day, this is a sign for the Bucks to up their game. There can be no denying that Giannis is the greatest thing to happen to them since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. So, to potentially lose him for nothing would be a huge folly on their part. Luckily, they have a whole two years to prevent that from ever happening.