Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

‘This is my home, this is my city’

Giannis chooses to remain with Bucks in 5-year deal

- Jim Owczarski Milwaukee Journal Sentinel USA TODAY NETWORK – WISCONSIN

Loyalty and family are deeply rooted principles for Giannis Antetokoun­mpo.

They have been since the Milwaukee Bucks made him the No. 15 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, and he’s never broken from those pillars in life, business or basketball. And for the second time, he committed to lean on them — use them — to bring the city and organizati­on to heights not seen in a half century. “This is my home, this is my city..,” Antetokoun­mpo tweeted Tuesday morning, announcing he would be signing an extension with the team. “I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 5 years. Let’s make these years count. The show goes on, let’s get it.”

The two-time reigning league Most Valuable Player elected to build upon his legacy in his adopted home and to continue his pursuit of winning the organizati­on’s second NBA championsh­ip by signing the designated veteran player exemption, commonly known as the supermax. It will be worth about $228 million.

And now the show, indeed, will go on for the Bucks and Milwaukee.

The organizati­on will continue to be a part of the national discourse, considered a legitimate championsh­ip contender where players take less money to play with Antetokoun­mpo and within a winning culture. In short, the Bucks remain relevant, after falling short of expectatio­ns in last season’s playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

And the city? The lakefront, riverfront­s, downtown architectu­re and illuminate­d throughway­s and bridges will be subject to flyovers and panoramic scene-setters on national television, on major holidays, for years to come. A burgeoning Deer District and its surroundin­g retail and housing options no doubt see a brighter light at the end of the pandemic.

“What we’re seeing right now is a reflection not only on Giannis, but it’s a reflection on the city because what has happened is Giannis has fallen in love with Milwaukee, with the Bucks, I think with the fans and I think that what has happened is we’ve fallen in love with him,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said.

“He brings so much enthusiasm, he brings so much love for the game, so much determinat­ion, so much competitiv­eness. It really is a great, great sign that he has decided that he wants to continue his career here in the city of Milwaukee.”

Though speculatio­n was rampant about Antetokoun­mpo’s future and feelings about the Bucks organizati­on, he has long maintained a public desire to stay with the team that drafted him in 2013. Nine days after his 26th birthday, he decided to become the sixth NBA player to sign the supermax extension since 2017.

“This is one of the great days in Bucks history,” Bucks President Peter Feigin said at a Milwaukee Press Club event, shortly after Antetokoun­mpo’s tweet.

In the Bucks’ formal announceme­nt of the deal in a release later Tuesday, Antetokoun­mpo said, “This is a big moment for me and my family and I want to thank the Bucks organizati­on for believing in us. You took a chance on us eight years ago and now putting my signature on a contract like this is unreal — but it’s all because of hard work. This is my home and I’m going to continue working hard and do my best to make the Bucks, our fans and the city proud.”

The five-year extension begins at 35% of the salary cap, with an 8% escalation each year after. He is untradeabl­e for the first year after signing, though The Athletic reported there is a 15% salary kicker should he be traded afterward. ESPN reported there is an opt-out clause for him after the fourth season.

In the team statement, Bucks coowners Marc Lasry, Wes Edens and Jamie Dinan said, “Giannis positively impacts everyone around him on and off the court and he brings a staggering dedication to winning and leadership to our organizati­on. His work ethic and desire to be the best epitomize what the Bucks stand for and what our future holds. We thank Giannis and his family for their long-term commitment to Milwaukee and we look forward to many years of success. This is a momentous day for the Bucks, our fans and the state of Wisconsin.”

Antetokoun­mpo qualified for the supermax by hitting every possible requiremen­t to do so. He completed seven years and has one year left on his current deal (therefore will have completed eight years of service by the end of his current contract); he has been named all-NBA each of the past four seasons; he has won back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards and also was the defensive player of the year last season.

To win that and an MVP was a historic feat accomplish­ed only by Michael Jordan (1987-88) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94).

After winning the MVP for the 201920 season, Antetokoun­mpo said, “As long as everybody’s on the same page and as long as everybody’s fighting for the same thing, fighting for the same thing every single day, which is to be a champion, I don’t see why not to be in Milwaukee for the next 15 years.”

When he signed a four-year, $100 million extension in 2016, he spoke of staying in Milwaukee to create a legacy much like his mentor and hero Kobe Bryant had in Los Angeles.

“I can’t imagine me being somewhere else,” he said then. “I don’t say this just for the media but from the bottom of my heart. I know after this five years, hopefully, we’ll be doing great, and I’ll be here five more years. “As I said last summer, I want to be here for 20 years. I don’t like change, anyway.”

True to his word

Antetokoun­mpo has been remarkably consistent in this regard, in many facets of his profession­al life.

For instance, when he re-signed with Nike in 2017 for a deal roundly believed to be worth $10 million annually and included a signature shoe line — the ZOOM FREAK — the first for an internatio­nal player and 22nd overall for the company, he told The Undefeated, “At the end of the day, I gotta stay loyal to the people who helped me.

“I wanted to build a brand from what I started. … That’s who I am as a person. Deep down in my heart, I know I made the right decision.”

If he had turned down the supermax, Antetokoun­mpo would have seen about $140 million to $160 million in free agency if he left the Bucks.

Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard were eligible for supermax extensions in New Orleans and San Antonio, respective­ly, but did not choose to sign them and wanted to be traded.

The short history of players signing the extension, which was created to help teams keep their star players, has been mixed at best:

The Golden State Warriors won an NBA title in the first year of Steph Curry’s $201 million extension in 2017-18 and lost in the NBA Finals the next year. Last season, Curry played in just five games before being lost for the season due to injury.

James Harden has led the league in scoring the past three seasons while Houston has advanced to one Western Conference final and two semifinals after he signed for $227.9 million in 2017. He has reportedly asked to be traded to Brooklyn.

Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder were bounced in the first round of the playoffs the first two years into his $206 million deal and he was traded to Houston last year. Then, Westbrook was traded this offseason to Washington for John Wall.

Wall has played only 73 games over two years due to injury since signing his $170 million deal and last played on Dec. 26, 2018. The Wizards made the playoffs in the first year of his deal but lost in the first round.

Portland’s Damian Lillard led the league in minutes played last season, his first under his $196 million deal, but the Trail Blazers finished the season with a losing record and lost in the first round of the playoffs in the bubble.

The Bucks have fallen short of reaching their first NBA Finals since 1974 each of the past two seasons, but the team acquired guard Jrue Holiday from New Orleans via trade and reshaped its bench to better adjust to the offensive and defensive issues the club has run into the past two postseason­s.

Though Antetokoun­mpo’s coming salaries can be restrictiv­e, to have him secured going forward will help keep the Bucks in the championsh­ip conversati­on into his 30s.

“I’m happy with this award, but I always look forward,” he said after winning his latest MVP. “I always try to figure out how can I get better? How can I do it again? How can I do it for years to come? How can I be a champion? I’m happy, I’m grateful, but how can I do it again?”

Now he and the Bucks know they can map out a plan to do just that.

 ?? MICHAEL SEARS / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL ?? Giannis Antetokoun­mpo hoists the MVP trophy during the presentati­on ceremony on July 14, 2019. On Tuesday, Antetokoun­mpo agreed to a five-year, $228 million contract extension.
MICHAEL SEARS / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Giannis Antetokoun­mpo hoists the MVP trophy during the presentati­on ceremony on July 14, 2019. On Tuesday, Antetokoun­mpo agreed to a five-year, $228 million contract extension.
 ?? ANGELA PETERSON / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL ?? Milwaukee Bucks fan Ximena Guerrero, 6, celebrates at The MECCA Sports Bar and Grill when Giannis Antetokoun­mpo is announced as the MVP at the 2019 NBA Awards.
ANGELA PETERSON / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Milwaukee Bucks fan Ximena Guerrero, 6, celebrates at The MECCA Sports Bar and Grill when Giannis Antetokoun­mpo is announced as the MVP at the 2019 NBA Awards.

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