The Milwaukee Bucks are just one week away from kicking off their 2025-26 NBA season with a home game against the Washington Wizards. Improbably, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a member of the team after an offseason packed with trade rumors and other speculation that the franchise's best all-time player could be taking his talents elsewhere.
Recently, Antetokounmpo got candid about his NBA future and what his ideal life looks like once he hangs up the sneakers.
“I’m 30 years old. I can play in the NBA until I’m 36, 38. I’d like to end my career in a Greek team, why not? I don’t want to live in the United States. As soon as I leave the NBA, I want to return to Greece. I could end my career here, whether this team is called Filathlitikos, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, or Aris, I’m talking about all the teams now,” said Antetokounmpo, per ANT1’s The 2night Show, via NBC Sports.
Antetokounmpo indeed hails from Greece, hence his nickname “The Greek Freak,” and has never been shy about putting his national pride on display, including suiting up for his native country at various tournaments during the offseason.
A big year for the Bucks
Meanwhile, stateside, the Milwaukee Bucks are hoping desperately that their offseason moves that were enough to keep Antetokounmpo around for now will help them get back in the contender mix in the weakened Eastern Conference.
The biggest move Milwaukee made was cutting injured point guard Damian Lillard and using the temporary cap space they cleared up to sign free agent big man Myles Turner. While Turner had just recently been a no-show in the NBA Finals, the Bucks are hoping that he will be able to provide a younger and more athletic version of the floor spacing and rim protection that Brook Lopez added to the Bucks before departing for the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason.
Things are shaky in the backcourt for Milwaukee right now to say the least, and it may take a 2018 LeBron James-like effort from Antetokounmpo to drag this team into the postseason, let alone win anything when they get there.
