Giannis Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign the richest contract in NBA history next summer, and it sounds like he is planning to do just that if the Milwaukee Bucks make the offer and the team remains competitive.
ESPN’s Malika Andrews reported during the playoffs back in May that Giannis may be convinced to sign a contract extension next year if the Bucks make it to the NBA Finals. While speaking with ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk at the PUBG MOBILE Team Up Superstar Showdown event over the weekend, Antetokounmpo seemed to indicate that is accurate. The reigning MVP said his ultimate goal is to win a championship, and he fully intends to remain with the Bucks as long as they share that same level of commitment.
“As long as that we are all on the same page and we are all focused on that goal, why not play for the Bucks 20 years, why not play 25 years?” he asked. “Why not, after playing, be a member of the coaching staff or a member of the front office? But we got to have the same goal. We got to have the same principles. … We got to focus on winning a championship.”
Giannis reiterated that he wants to be part of a winning team, and he said he would love to take the same career path as superstars like Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan if the Bucks find sustained success.
“As long as we have the same mindset and same approach to the game, there’s no reason for me to move and not be like Steph [Curry], not like be like Dirk [Nowitzki] or Kobe [Bryant] or Tim Duncan,” he added.
The contract Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign next summer has some truly eye-popping figures, but he has the potential to own the NBA after LeBron James retires. The supermax exists to give teams like the Bucks a chance to keep their star players, and it may end up working the way it is intended to in this instance.
