As the Milwaukee Bucks gear up for the new NBA season, Giannis Antetokounmpo says he is locked in, but there is a catch.
Speaking on Wednesday, Antetokounmpo addressed recent headlines following reports that the Bucks held off-season trade talks with the New York Knicks regarding a potential move for the two-time MVP.
Although he said he hadn’t read the report himself, the Greek forward reiterated that his main priority remains competing for championships – whether that continues to be in Milwaukee or elsewhere.
“I’ve said this many times: I want to be in a situation that I can win,” Antetokounmpo said. “I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to wherever we can go. It’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So all the extra stuff does not matter.
“I’ve communicated with my teammates, communicated with the people I respect and love, that the moment I step on this court or in this facility, I wear this jersey, the rest does not matter. I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me. Now, if in six, seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human, too.”
Antetokounmpo recently missed the opening of training camp due to illness but rejoined the Bucks last weekend in Miami before their first preseason game on Sunday, in which he didn’t play. Milwaukee are set to face the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at Fiserv Forum.
“I’m locked in,” Antetokounmpo added. “I’m locked in to this team. I’m locked in to these guys, to this group and to this coaching staff and to myself.”
Reflecting on the off-season, Giannis likened that period to a stretch filled with outside distractions and “temptations,” but noted that once camp begins, he shuts out the noise and rededicates himself to the game.
“It’s temptation. That starts when the season ends until the season begins,” Antetokounmpo said. “There’s going to be a lot of people that are going to approach me or approach my agent and they’re going to say this is a possibility, that’s a possibility … but at the end of the day, ultimately, I’m going to make a decision. And my decision today is that I’m here and I’m committed to this team.”
