Bucks' Giannis Considered Retiring in 2020: I Was 'Ready to Walk Away From the Game'

It's hard to imagine an NBA without Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that was nearly the case in 2020 as the Milwaukee Bucks star contemplated retirement.

"It's hard," Antetokounmpo told Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It's … not easy.

"In 2020, I was … ready to walk away from the game."

He added: "I had that conversation – yes – with the front office."

Antetokounmpo continued:

"If something doesn't make me happy, I don't do it. I don't want to do it. I'm just going to stay home, stay with my kids, stay with my family and try to be happy. I don't care.

"And this was right when I signed the largest contract in NBA history.

"In 2020, I was ready to walk away from the game. I had that conversation – yes – with the front office.

"And, you know, very normally, everybody is looking at me like I was crazy. 'You just signed the largest contract in NBA history and you want to walk away from the game and all that money…?'

"Mannnnn, you can take that money and shove it into your…"

Antetokounmpo is arguably the best player in the NBA, and with that comes some pretty significant demands that take a toll both physically and mentally. Numerous players have spoken about mental health, including Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan and Miami Heat veteran Kevin Love.

With the emergence of COVID-19, return to play in the Orlando bubble, the seemingly endless endorsement deals and the death of his father, Antetokounmpo, like many, was dealing with an unprecedented amount of stress in 2020.

But instead of quitting basketball, the two-time MVP sought help and began going to counseling. He told Nickel of the experience:

"I kept talking with this (counselor). He helped me a lot – not just being a better basketball player, being able to deal with it; but being a better partner, better father, better brother, better son. Better person. Being not locked into myself, being able to give people what I feel. Because at one point, I was trying to get away from everybody. And that's not me; I'm very social. I like to interact with other people."

Antetokounmpo put pen to paper on a five-year, $228 million supermax contract in December 2020, and he's gone on to put together some of the most impressive seasons of his career since.

The "Greek Freak" led the Bucks to their first NBA title since 1971 in 2021 and he led the franchise to an appearance in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2022. Milwaukee finished the 2022-23 campaign first in the East with a 58-24 record and could very well win another title this year.

Antetokounmpo had one of the best statistical seasons of his career in 2022-23, averaging 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 63 games while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor and 27.5 percent from deep.

The superstar is one of three prime MVP candidates with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić.

The Bucks and NBA fans are, of course, thankful that Antetokounmpo opted against retiring, and if Milwaukee wins another title in 2023, the praise and appreciation for No. 34 will likely reach a new level.