Giannis Antetokounmpo was once again one of the very best players in the NBA during the 2024-25 season. Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game and finished third in MVP voting.
Antetokounmpo last finished outside the top four in voting all the way back in 2018. The 30-year-old has remained a dominant force on the court for quite some time now, but has found postseason success hard to come by lately.
The Bucks have not won a playoff series since 2022, with their latest defeat coming at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on during a game against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on during a game against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum.
Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Following the playoff disappointments, Antetokounmpo's future with the Bucks is now in doubt. The nine-time All-Star hasn't yet publicly expressed his desire to leave, but he has been speaking on some other subjects. During an appearance on the "Thanalysis Show," Antetokounmpo was asked what he would change about the NBA.
"Anybody that knows me and knows how I play, I love to play physical," Antetokounmpo said on the show. "I would just love the game to be a little more physical, like how it was back in the day, because I think it would fit my game better. That's pretty much it.
"I really appreciate the NBA the way it is, but if I could change something, I just feel it's becoming a little bit more softer and softer and softer," Antetokounmpo continued.
"When I came to the league, which wasn't long time ago, 2013, it was way, way more physical than what it is right now. Players could not manipulate the game as much with head snaps and ripping to get a three, or stop and go."
Foul-baiting has been a big talking point recently, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the center of it. Antetokounmpo wants the NBA to allow more physicality and take the game back to where it was when he entered the league in 2013.