Giannis Antetokounmpo is only 30 years old and still got to more than half a decade of NBA basketball to play. Will those years be still with the Milwaukee Bucks? Shaquille O’Neal has an advice.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Thanasis
Apr 7, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) sits with his brother forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo (43) in the fourth quarter during game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The Greek Freak is still at the peak of his career and Shaq thinks he already maxed out. That’s not about losing everything already or the body getting all spent. He is talking about his max contract.
Now, what does has to do with Antetokounmpo’s future? Teams who might want to his services don’t just use the chance of winning a title to lure him. They also come for him with huge deals.
For O’Neal, the max contract should not matter anymore for him as he already have it and he won’t get much with the next one.
“But now, every market is the same,” said O’Neal in a podcast guesting.
Shaquille O'Neal
Dec 9, 2008; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal (32) against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first quarter at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-US Presswire
“And not only that, he’s making a super-max, so what do you need a big market for? Like, a big market is just to help you get more opportunities. If you’re already making a super-max, you’ve already maxed out your opportunities. Now you just have to play and continue to be great and let the opportunities come to you.”
Giannis signed a supermax contract extension in 2023 worth $186 million which will keep him to the team until the 2025-2026 season.
The smoke on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s big market interest
Shaq talking about the Greek Freak is prompted by recent reports that Giannis wants out and he wants to join a big market.
Among those attached to him are the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks. Some reports, who were not able to name any legit source, claim financial aspect is one of the factors Antetokounmpo is considering about big cities.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Jul 22, 2021; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) holds the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy during the Milwaukee Bucks victory parade. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
However, it can also be recalled how the two-time MVP is adamant that he does not want to play somewhere loud. He wants to keep it simple.
“I don’t like all these flashy cities like L.A. or Miami,” he told The New York Times’s Marc Stein in an interview in 2017.
“I don’t know if I could be the same player if I played in those cities.”
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