Just in case it wasn’t clear, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks teammates would really like to see him stick around for a while.
To make that point, the Bucks recognized Giannis’ birthday by giving him a unique set of presents. Antetokounmpo turned 26 on Sunday, and according to Khris Middleton, his teammates celebrated by gifting him a whole bunch of pens.
“Me and (Pat Connaughton) thought the perfect gift to him from his teammates would be to give him a pen,” Middleton said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “So, 19 pens in his locker for a birthday present. I told him those should be some of the best birthday gifts he’s ever gotten. So, hopefully he enjoys it and uses it.”
The joke, of course, is that the Bucks would like to see Giannis use one of those pens to sign a max contract. As it stands, Antetokounmpo is eligible for free agency in the summer of 2021, but he’s eligible to sign a five-year max deal with Milwaukee right now.
Antetokounmpo has until Dec. 21 to sign on the dotted line. There is some chatter about which way he may be leaning, but maybe a whole host of pens from his teammates will nudge him into a final decision. You never know.
