Giannis Antetokounmpo was expected to leave the Milwaukee Bucks this summer.
The 2025-26 NBA season will mark Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Year 13 in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since his debut in 2013, Antetokounmpo has only gotten better and even led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA Championship.
Despite Giannis’ unparalleled loyalty, the Greek Freak was touted to demand a trade away from the Bucks. Why? Well, to improve his odds of winning another championship.
Former Milwaukee Bucks staff think Giannis Antetokounmpo is ‘stubborn’
A key reason behind Antetokounmpo’s involvement in trade rumors was the Bucks’ decision to waive Damian Lillard to make room for Myles Turner.
After all, experts believed parting ways with Lillard would tank the Bucks’ championship odds. However, Antetokounmpo has proven doubters wrong as he will once again don the Bucks’ jersey next season.
While the decision has been met with mixed reactions, NBA expert Kirk Goldsberry isn’t shocked one bit.
“I know some people who used to coach on the Bucks pretty well. And there’s also this quirk where Giannis is hyper competitive and almost proud to a fault,” Goldsberry said on The Zach Lowe Show.
He added: “They describe him as this is a guy who would stay in Milwaukee just to be stubborn and prove to everybody else that he did it.
“That’s why he’s Giannis, that’s why he’s such a ferocious competitor on the basketball court, is that he does it the hard way.”
Keeping Antetokounmpo’s competitive spirit in mind, it’s no surprise that he’s still one of the top contenders to win the 2025-26 NBA MVP award.
Kirk Goldsberry’s final verdict on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks future
According to Goldsberry, Antetokounmpo’s ferocious competitive spirit directly translates to his playing style in the NBA.
“I love his game because it’s just like that stubbornness manifests on a basketball court. He’s so physical,” Goldsberry continued.
But what about the million-dollar question regarding Giannis’ future in Milwaukee?
“I’m not so sure [that] he does want out of there,” Goldsberry stated, crushing all speculation.
If nothing else, the Bucks Nation is in for an unstoppable season from Antetokounmpo, similar to how Allen Iverson was during the prime of his career.
