Giannis Talks About His Love For Milwaukee Before Potential Trade

Everyone is expecting Giannis Antetokounmpo to be traded from the Milwaukee Bucks either this week or this offseason. After over a decade with the team, it really is the end of an era. While Giannis never officially requested a trade from the Bucks, the messaging is clear: he wants to leave for a better chance at winning another NBA championship. 

But how does Giannis feel about potentially leaving the home he has had for the last 13 years? He spoke about his love for the city and the organization that helped raise him. 

“So here, I’ll tell you what I’ve known here. I’ve known what it is to be an NBA player, what it is to make it to the NBA. I’ve learned what it is to be an all-star player. I’ve learned how to be a champion. I’ve learned how to be an MVP. I’ve learned how to be a father. I got married in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And also, legally, from the courthouse. And also, I’ve had my kids here. My father is buried here. 

So tell me you, when I open the passport of my kids, and it says born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, my dad is buried here, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So people have the audacity to come tell me and say, 'this guy really doesn't love Milwaukee.' I don't love Milwaukee? Not the people that know. The people of the city know how much I love them. This city has let me be myself, let me be father, have let me [be] a husband, have let me be my own, true, self."

When a player is traded, they aren’t just going to a new team. They are completely changing their life and that of their family. That’s why making the decision to leave Milwaukee must have been hard for Giannis. It is all he knows, and the unknown can be very scary. 

Still, Giannis controls his destiny. He's made the decision to leave the Bucks and will have to deal with the consequences on his own.