Giannis Antetokounmpo knows time isn’t waiting for him. He’s still in his prime, but even he admits that window is closing. What he wants now is another shot at a championship — something the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t looked close to since their 2022 title run.
The Bucks have struggled to keep pace with the league’s top teams. For someone wired like Giannis, that’s frustrating. And when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the New York Knicks could be a possible destination if things fall apart in Milwaukee, the buzz only grew louder.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers was quick to shoot down the rumors, but the chatter didn’t stop there. Charles Barkley weighed in on The Rich Eisen Show, sounding a little old-school about how Giannis is handling things.
“You know, it’s funny how these guys, they feel like they’re entitled to play for the championship every year. As a great player, you should feel like, ‘I’m a great player. If I get any help, we’re going to win,’” Barkley said.
He followed that up with,
“It’s unfortunate, he feels like he’s entitled to win a championship every year. Everybody wants to win a championship. But the Bucks have done everything they possibly could, it’s disheartening for me to hear him thinking, ‘If we don’t win the championship this year, I wanna be out of here.’ I hate hearing that.”
Giannis, though, doesn’t sound like a guy halfway out the door. Sure, the Bucks have been bounced early the last three postseasons, but his mindset seems steady. Winning is the goal, same as it’s always been.
“We’re going to take it day by day”: Giannis Antetokounmpo stays loyal, for now
At media day, Giannis tried to calm everyone down. He made it clear he’s not looking elsewhere — at least not right now.
“I believe in this team,” he said. “I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to whatever we can go. It’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here… I’m locked into whatever I have in front of me.”
He’s saying the right things, but in today’s NBA, loyalty gets tested fast — especially when the wins stop coming.
For more sports content:
Follow us @HardwoodHeroics for your NBA and college basketball reading fix. You can reach out to Dan Agulto through email at papadanph@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest sports news, click here!
Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
