Giannis Antetokounmpo wasted no time making his stance clear after returning from injury, firmly shutting down trade speculation that surfaced during his absence from the Milwaukee Bucks lineup.
“I’m here. I’m here. I’m here,” Antetokounmpo said. “Don’t ask me that question. I’m here. It’s disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. Disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself, and people that work hard for me to come out and say I don’t want to be here.”
Antetokounmpo’s return was felt immediately, not only through his on-court impact but also through a moment late in the game that drew attention around the league.
With the Bucks already holding a comfortable lead and the clock winding down, Antetokounmpo threw down a windmill dunk in the dying seconds of the game, a play that upset several Bulls players.
After the game, Antetokounmpo explained his mindset in a lengthy and candid response.
“What, we’re 11th in the East? Are we 11th in the East or 12th? 11th? Just gotta keep finding our identity,” Antetokounmpo said. “And if that is to get a little bit of scrappy at the end, so be it. Like, we’re not the champs. Why should we play the clock out and have respect and fair play? Like we’re fighting for our lives right now. This is real talk, I’ve been 13 years in the league, if we keep on losing, brother, probably half of the team’s not gonna be here. We’re not going to make the playoffs (in 11th). Like I really don’t care. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy, and help my team win. And if that’s what has to happen for them – everybody – to wake up and understand like we’re fighting for our lives and we gotta get our hands dirty, so be it.”
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