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Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks set out one goal prior to the start of the 2024-25 season: win the 2025 NBA Finals. Despite the season just starting and a lot of games remaining on their schedule, things have not started off well for the Bucks whatsoever. Outside of Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Milwaukee is struggling to score, and this team has been a mess defensively. As a result, the Bucks find themselves 1-3 after losing their third straight game on Monday night, this time to the Boston Celtics.
Every team in the Eastern Conference is comparing themselves to Boston and seeing how they stack up against the defending champions. This game was an evaluation for the Bucks to see where they are at, and it is clear that a lot of work still needs to be done in order for them to regain championship relevance.
Antetokounmpo understands this, which is why he isn't focused on the loss as much as other stars around the league may be if their team was in this position. Im fact, Giannis is remaining positive and optimistic of his team's chances of winning.
“It's the fourth game of the season. Even if we sucked, even if we were very, very bad, it is the fourth game of the season; you have to be optimistic. This is the job that we are in,” Antetokounmpo told reporters after Monday's loss in Boston. “At the end of the day, we have a great team. I believe we will keep on playing better, learning from our mistakes. Eventually, we are going to start winning games.
“I don't think we are far off. I do not care about the record. I care about keep on building, people being healthy, and get where we want to get.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo's uncertain future with Bucks
There is definitely a lot of truth to what Giannis laid out in his postgame remarks, especially regarding it being the fourth game of the season and it is too early to freak out about the team's 1-3 record. While this is not the start they envisioned, it is most definitely not the end of the world. Plenty of time exists for the Bucks to turn around their recent misfortunes and correct their wrongs.
At the same time, there is most certainly a sense of urgency for Antetokounmpo. No star player wants to lose, and Milwaukee is facing an uphill battle with all of the outside noise that surrounds the organization after losing in the first round of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
The Bucks do have a great roster, and they have the talent to compete with teams like the Celtics. However, to say that he doesn't care about the record is most certainly a deflection from Antetokounmpo. He most certainly cares that the Bucks aren't 4-0, which is why these first few weeks of the 2024-25 season are so vital for this franchise.
Whether or not the Bucks can flip the script and start finding success is a major question mark right now, as is Giannis' future with the team. Although he signed a three-year, $175.4 million extension with the team in 2023, which keeps him under contract through the 2027-28 season, Antetokounmpo has made it clear that he wants to win. The superstar even went so far as to joke around in the preseason and say that the team could end up trading him if they fail to meet expectations.
It is not believed that Antetokounmpo is wanting to depart Milwaukee, but more disappointment, especially come time for the playoffs, will cause tensions to rise even higher than they are currently. Pressure to win is apparent for the Bucks, which is why all Giannis can do is flip the page and try to move on to the next game.
