Getty LeBron James with Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While there were plenty of rumors that Giannis Antetokounmpo could end up leaving the Milwaukee Bucks soon, those rumors will be tabled for the time being. In hindsight, it’s not all that surprising he decided to commit to the team long-term. He’s got a different way of doing things than other guys around the league.
One team that he was linked to was the Los Angeles Lakers but that was probably never going to happen realistically. In fact, he wouldn’t even agree to workout with LeBron James.
“I want to explain how important that is to people out there,” NBA insider Chris Haynes revealed on the Posted Up podcast. “Giannis doesn’t work out with anybody that’s not on his team. He doesn’t do that. He’s turned down working out with LeBron James and turned down being part of the ‘Space Jam 2’ movie. He doesn’t do that.”
Many would jump at the chance to workout with LeBron and/or be in “Space Jam 2” but Giannis appears to be a different breed. It definitely would’ve been fun to see the “Greek Freak” pop up in the movie but there should be plenty of other cameos.
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Giannis Sent Message to Brother During Lakers’ Ring Ceremony
Even though he won’t be playing with the team any time soon, Giannis does have a strong connection to the Lakers. His brother Kostas is still a member of the team and recently received his championship ring. During the ring ceremony, Giannis was among family members to send a message to the young Antetokounmpo brother.
“Let’s get more rings, man”
Giannis congratulates his brother Kostas
Giannis is the best basketball player in the family but Kostas is the only one with a ring. He could also get another one by the end of the year.
Will Giannis Ever Win a Ring?
It’s very possible that Kostas is the Antetokounmpo brother who retires with the most championship rings. Giannis deciding to stay in Milwaukee was a very admirable but it probably wasn’t his best path to a title. He could’ve teamed up with Steph Curry in Golden State or Jimmy Butler in Miami. Instead, he decided to stay loyal and try to get over the hump with the Bucks.
Milwaukee will be very good this season. Adding Jrue Holiday was a great pickup and they already finished with the best regular-season record last season. The NBA bubble was a unique situation and not every team thrived in that setting. The Bucks were wildly disappointing in the bubble and were dominated by the Heat. Giannis is a great player but his style of play has translated in the playoffs.
Also, the Bucks probably aren’t the most talented team in the Eastern Conference. The Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat all arguably have stronger rosters. If the Bucks can’t win the East yet again, they might need to shake things up. Giannis is tied to the team for several more years and they need to surround him with more talent.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo Turned Down Major Offer From Lakers’ LeBron James