There was considerable talk in the late 2010s that Giannis Antetokounmpo, should the Milwaukee Bucks flame out once more in the postseason, could bolt for greener pastures. Fast forward to now and Antetokounmpo is now an NBA champion and an NBA Finals MVP, lifting Milwaukee to great joys they haven't experienced since their halcyon days in the 1970s.
And it seems like Giannis' love for Milwaukee hasn't wavered one bit, as he took the time to express his love for the city he's called home for the past decade following his career-high 55-point performance with 10 rebounds and seven assists in the Bucks' 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
“I wouldn't be the person that I am today without this city. But at the end of the day, we don't only play for the name on the back, we play for the name on the front. Everybody that's on this team, who has the same name on the front, and when we go out there, we try to represent this city the best way possible,” Antetokounmpo said, per Bally Sports Wisconsin.
(Skip to 2:25 for the relevant part.)
Giannis Antetokounmpo made his love for Milwaukee known when he chose to flex the name on the front of his jersey after sealing the deal for the Bucks late in the game with a strong and-one.
In addition to his attachment to the city of Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo also expressed his appreciation for his teammates. After all, basketball is a team sport, and Antetokounmpo, who has reached the loftiest heights an NBA player could reach, knows that united they stand and divided they fall.
“This is what basketball is about. This is what winning is about. At the end of the day, we're a great team. We play together, we win together, we lose together. We do it on the floor together. That's what Milwaukee is all about. I'm happy that I'm able to have teammates like that,” Antetokounmpo added.
And after such a dominant career-high performance, the Bucks and everyone in the city of Milwaukee will be definitely more than happy to have Antetokounmpo in town, maybe for the rest of his illustrious career.