Good- bye, Giannis

Lower left, #34 Giannis Antetokounpo. 2/10/2017 dwm

He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA draft. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo was expected to be on another team before the 2026 draft is over. And he was, sent to the Miami Heat for four players and three first-round draft picks.

Giannis, the Greek Freak, took the Bucks to the NBA Finals in 2021, beating the Phoenix Suns in six games for Milwaukee's second Championship. 

His story is compelling, born in Nigeria, raised in Greece, he and brother, Thanasis, helped the family by selling watches, sunglasses, and handbags. 

He was introduced to basketball at the age of 13 and you might say it worked out.

Antetokounmpo leads the Bucks in 32 categories and is the only NBA player to finish a regular season in the Top 20 in all five categories of total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

He's the best player in Buck history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was Milwaukee's first superstar, as he led the team to it's first title in 1971 but Jabbar wasn't comfortable living in Milwaukee, asking to be traded at the end of his sixth season with the Bucks. He finished his career as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won the championship five more times. 

Since leading the Bucks to the crown in 2021, Giannis and the team sought another title, but injuries and fate left them short. In a perfect world, he would have played his entire career with the Bucks. 

Instead, he'll wear a Heat uniform next season. It's sad to see him go, but it seems the best way to think about his career in Milwaukee is to be happy it happened. Antetounmpo came across as a genuine, humble, hard-working player who gave it all he had.

Thank you, Giannis.