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Giannis Antetokounmpo opens the door to playing for another team

HoopsHype
·7 min read
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In the end Giannis decided to stay in Milwaukee because it was difficult. And then, improbably, the Bucks won. “One challenge was to bring a championship here and we did,” he told me. “It was very hard, but we did. Very, very hard. I just love challenges. What’s the next challenge? The next challenge might not be here.” It’s not that he doesn’t love Milwaukee, he said. But he was always wary of things becoming too easy. “Me and my family chose to stay in this city that we all love and has taken care of us—for now,” Giannis said. “In two years, that might change. I’m being totally honest with you. I’m always honest. I love this city. I love this community. I want to help as much as possible.”
Source: Zach Baron, Condé Nast @ GQ.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

GeorgeZakkas @ZakkasGeorge
Giannis: “I just love challenges. What’s the next challenge? The next challenge might not be here. Me and my family chose to stay in this city that we all love and has taken care of us—for now. In two years, that might change. I’m being totally honest with you”.
via @GQMagazine pic.twitter.com/JUvoRpyiTa – 9:22 AM

Giannis Antetokounmpo @Giannis_An34
Maverick’s Diaper Mission 💚 pic.twitter.com/QKmhubWcDV – 11:16 PM

Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
One night after the Antetokounmpo brothers came tantalizingly close to delivering free poultry on multiple occasions, a Wagner brother brings it to fruition. – 9:51 PM

Giannis Antetokounmpo @Giannis_An34
👀🔥🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/DbjB4gWNrO – 8:47 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
The Bucks just aren’t a very good basketball team right now.
“We’re all frustrated. I’m frustrated. I don’t play to lose. I play to win.” – Giannis Antetokounmpo
How deep is the hole? And where do the Bucks go from here?
At @TheAthletic: theathletic.com/2955766/2021/1… – 11:13 AM

Quinton Mayo @RealQuintonMayo
NBA PER (Week 4)
1. Nikola Jokic: 34.6
2. Kevin Durant: 29.4
3. Jimmy Butler: 29.0
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 28.9
5. Montrezl Harrell: 28.4
6. Stephen Curry: 26.8
7. Anthony Davis: 25.9
8. Rudy Gobert: 25.2
9. Ja Morant: 24.8
10. Joel Embiid: 24.7 pic.twitter.com/2gZbD6FNnf – 10:21 AM

Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Nikola Jokic last night:
✅ 28 PTS
✅ 9 REB
✅ 9 AST
Jokic is just the second player in NBA history to record at least 300p/150r/75a through his first 12 games of a season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the first player to accomplish the feat in 2019-20. pic.twitter.com/nSXAHEkAOe – 9:31 AM

Giannis Antetokounmpo @Giannis_An34
Got to play through it 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/mpu2wLATJ6 – 10:37 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
FINAL: Hawks 120, Bucks 100
– Antetokounmpo 26pts/5reb/6ast
– Holiday 19pts/8ast
– Allen 18pts/3reb – 8:14 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Five fouls for Giannis Antetokounmpo now with 2:36 to go in the game, #Hawks up 116-99. – 8:08 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
The #Bucks got the #Hawks lead down to 10…it’s 104-92 now and Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in the game. – 7:57 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Giannis Antetokounmpo begins the fourth quarter on the bench (four fouls) – the #Bucks will have to cut into the deficit without him for a bit here… – 7:48 PM

Kane Pitman @KanePitman
It’s probably the most frustrated Giannis has looked all season tonight. Foul trouble, battling with both Collins and Capela, teammates struggling to pay off good looks with poor shooting. Tough night all round but he just keeps pushing. – 7:47 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Two offensive fouls on Giannis Antetokounmpo this quarter (four total) and the #Bucks trail 89-77 in the closing seconds of the third. Atlanta has been able to prevent any real rally thus far. – 7:44 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
And there is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fourth foul on his second offensive foul of the second half. – 7:44 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
That’s a ridiculous kick to the corner by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Put it through a couple arms and hit Nwora right in the shot pocket for the corner 3.
Hawks still lead, 88-77, though. – 7:42 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
After one quarter, the Hawks lead, 32-24. Antetokounmpo and Allen each have six points a piece. Trae Young with 15 for Atlanta.
Advanced Stats:
OffRtg: 133.3
DefRtg: 96.0
Net Rtg: -37.3
ORB%: 0.0%
DRB%: 58.3% – 6:36 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
The PA announcer says that was Giannis Antetokounmpo’s second foul – so one of his earlier ones must have been assigned elsewhere. The live box score says he has three. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #Bucks trail 17-13 – 6:22 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
I feel like fouls get changed all the time, but currently the live box score on site has Giannis Antetokounmpo with two fouls in the early going. #Hawks up 15-9 with 7:26 to go in the first quarter. – 6:17 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Jrue Holiday has to shoot that floater. I know he’s struggling to finish right now, but he has to be a threat.
Threw the lob to Antetokounmpo and got a turnover. – 6:17 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Giannis Antetokounmpo gets a turnaround hook for the Bucks’ first points. – 6:13 PM

Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Hawks start with Clint Capela guarding Giannis. – 6:10 PM

Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
With no De’Andre Hunter and Giannis in town, it seems like there’s a real role for Solomon Hill this early evening. – 5:51 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Mike Budenholzer said he expects Giannis Antetokounmpo to play tonight in Atlanta.
George Hill, on the other hand, will be out. – 4:49 PM

Kevin Chouinard @KLChouinard
Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to play per Coach Budenholzer. – 4:40 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the #Bucks last game with an ankle sprain, is going through his pregame routine currently at State Farm Arena. There’s no discernible difference in his movements to me. – 3:59 PM

Jim Owczarski @JimOwczarski
With an earlier tip time (5 p.m. CT), the #Bucks did not have a shootaround – but nothing has changed on the afternoon injury report for tonight in Atlanta: Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle) and George Hill (back soreness) remain probable. – 3:11 PM

Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“Ben Simmons has to take a page out of [Giannis Antetokounmpo’s] book.”
Scottie Pippen shares how much he admires the Greek Freak for persevering through adversity.
Our Town Hall with Scottie Pippen is available NOW on the SXM App!
🔊 https://t.co/yMzGDA5kYk pic.twitter.com/qR6u8fP0qv – 2:17 PM

Josh Robbins @JoshuaBRobbins
Deni Avdija drew a difficult defensive assignment: guarding athletic wing and Magic sixth man Terrence Ross. It’s a sign of the Wizards’ faith in Avdija’s defense that he’s been asked to guard two players as different as Ross and Giannis Antetokounmpo over the last week. – 7:30 PM

Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
For tomorrow night’s game in Atlanta, Donte DiVincenzo, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton are all listed as OUT.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as probable with a right ankle sprain and George Hill is listed as probable with back soreness. – 5:49 PM

Christian Clark @cclark_13
Points in the paint:
1) Ja Morant, 16.2
2) Anthony Davis, 14.9
3) Nikola Jokic, 14.0
4) Giannis Antetokounmpo, 13.8
5) Domantas Sabonis, 13.5 – 4:25 PM

More on this storyline

“I don’t think it’s, ‘I’m thinking about leaving the Bucks,’ ” Saratsis told me. “But I think he’s genuinely like: ‘Okay, I have reached the pinnacle. The next challenge is, let’s repeat.’ But what happens if you do repeat? What’s the next challenge? What is that next barrier? When you think about it from a basketball perspective, by the age of 26, this kid has accomplished everything,” Saratsis said. “So sometimes you’re going to have to manufacture what those challenges are.” -via GQ.com / November 16, 2021