The marriage between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks may be headed toward divorce. But, one former superstar from a small market that chased the extra glamour of big-market basketball offered “The Greek Freak” some advice.
Dwight Howard, the former Orlando Magic superstar who orchestrated his departure to the Lakers in his prime, suggested that Antetokounmpo stick it out in Milwaukee after reports surfaced that he may seek a trade Monday.
https://x.com/DwightHoward/status/1921912567338815959
ESPN reported Monday that Antetokounmpo was, for the first time in his NBA career, open to exploring options outside of Milwaukee after the Bucks were eliminated in the first round for the third straight year, by the Indiana Pacers in five games.
The two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP has spent the past 11 seasons with the Bucks, helping them snap a 50-year title drought with their six-game series win against the Phoenix Suns in the COVID-altered 2020-21 season.
Heading Out?
Antetokounmpo may end up in a different uniform as soon as next season, though that isn’t a guarantee.
The Bucks gave Giannis his big break when they drafted him 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft. He quickly became the face of their franchise, and in the player-empowerment age has become the poster child for loyalty by becoming one of the few stars to remain where he was drafted.
Yet, suddenly all that may be changing. There were trade whispers of a Giannis deal during the season, and those are only getting louder after the aging Bucks were quickly wiped out of the playoffs again — amid an Damian Lillard’s injury-plagued season.
Things change rapidly in the NBA, and despite his loyalty, the Bucks have shaken up their core to remain a championship contender led by Antetokounmpo. Coach Mike Budenholzer was replaced first by Adrian Griffin then by Doc Rivers, and playoff heroes Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, P.J. Tucker, Grayson Allen and others were shipped out to acquire Lillard and Kyle Kuzma.
Those moves may have made Milwaukee more talented. But it has not necessarily made it better, since the Bucks are 4-12 in their past 16 playoff games.
A Cautionary Tale
Like Antetokounmpo, Howard was a superstar-caliber player playing in a small market, Orlando. Yet, unlike Giannis, Howard was unable to transcend his market as one of the faces of the NBA.
So, after eight seasons with the Magic, where he won three Defensive Player of the Year trophies, earned five first-team All-NBA honors and helped them reach the Finals in 2009, Howard orchestrated a deal to the Lakers as part of a four-team trade in the summer of 2012 — after publicly claiming the Magic were not doing enough to build a championship team around him.
Howard only spent one season in Los Angeles, playing 76 games and qualifying for the West All-Star team, but he publicly feuded with Kobe Bryant and coach Mike D’Antoni then signed with the Houston Rockets after LA was swept out of the playoffs in the first round of the 2013 playoffs.
Injuries plagued Howard’s tenure in Houston, and he played for six different teams over the final seven seasons, including two additional stints with the Lakers. Luckily, Howard finally got his championship ring with LA — ironically in Orlando, where the Lakers won their most recent title in the bubble playoffs of 2020.
Dwight Howard Sends 3-Word Message to Giannis Antetokounmpo