Giannis Antetokounmpo on new contract: 'I want to represent Milwaukee'
MILWAUKEE - Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke Wednesday, Dec. 16 about the supermax contract extension he signed the previous day.
For the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, his goal is to "have kids and have a championship...That's all I want."
The Milwaukee Bucks front office is all-in, and the signing means Antetokounmpo is all in, too. But the decision to stay in Milwaukee proves Antetokounmpo's loyalty not just to the game, but to Bucks fans and the city.
The decision to stay in Cream City was a secret to some. Antetokounmpo said he didn't tell anyone -- not his teammates, not Head Coach Mike Budenholzer -- they all found out when he sent out his announcement on Tuesday.
"I was always leaning to this direction. I just wanted the team to be improved and be better and the team is better," Antetokounmpo said. "The guys we have they're great players, ready to compete, ready to fill out, coach is a great human being and I wanted to be here."
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Keeping the largest contract in NBA history lowkey isn't easy to do, but it is in character for the humble superstar.
The first teammate he told, Antetokounmpo said, was fellow All-Star Khris Middleton. Both players -- Antetokounmpo through the draft and Middleton via trade -- joined the team in 2013 and first donned the Bucks' jersey in the 2013-14 season.
Altogether, it's a big win for a small market team to retain its superstar player -- an essential part of the chase for the Bucks' second NBA title. Antetokounmpo wants to build a legacy in Milwaukee -- and make the city and the organization that saw him grow as a basketball player, proud.
"(I) discussed with my agent, you know, the team, my family, you know, talked to my mother if she wanted to move and she said 'no' and okay cool, I'm going to sign the deal then," Antetokounmpo joked Wednesday. "But no, this is the place I want to be. This is my home. This is my city. I want to represent Milwaukee, and I want to do this for the next five years."
And how did he celebrate his new contract? Antetokounmpo said he got dinner with his family, bought some clothes for his son, Liam, and went to bed and woke up for Wednesday's practice.
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