Giannis Antetokounmpo Comments on Commitment to Bucks, Future of Team

The Milwaukee Bucks were a surprise playoff team last season, and rising star Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to see the franchise's rebuilding process all the way through. 

Writing for Eurohoops.com, Antetokounmpo touched on different topics about the Bucks, notably where he sees himself in the future and where the team stands today.

With regard to his contract, which is guaranteed through 2017 after Milwaukee exercised his third-year option last October, Antetokounmpo said he wants to be with the team for a long time:

"

The Bucks and John Hammond chose me in the draft, got me in the NBA, kept me in the team with a role from my very first season and they are my basketball family. ... From my side, I feel that I want to be playing in the Bucks. I’m not talking about my next contract. The way I feel now, I want to keep playing for the Milwaukee Bucks for the next 20 years!

"

Antetokounmpo did add that life can alter plans, as he thought about playing for Filathlitikos forever before he was taken 15th overall by the Bucks 2013. 

Talking about the Bucks' young nucleus of talent that includes new free-agent signee Greg Monroe, 2015 first-round pick Rashad Vaughn, Jabari Parker and Michael Carter-Williams, Antetokounmpo believes big things are coming.

"Everything seems ideal and I believe the conditions will be in place for us to play a leading role," Antetokounmpo wrote. "It seems distant now, but in a few years we might reach the level to be thinking about a championship."

These are the optimistic views of a 20-year-old NBA player, but they are not without merit. Antetokounmpo showed tremendous growth in his second season, as the numbers show:

Season	PPG	FG%	REB	AST
2013-14	6.8	41.4	4.4	1.9
2014-15	12.7	49.1	6.7	2.6

In many ways, Antetokounmpo's development matches the Bucks. The team went from 15 wins in his rookie season to 41 last year. A 26-win improvement is not an accident. Aron Yohannes of Sporting News said Milwaukee is "on the verge of being a real threat in the Eastern Conference." He notes that if the Bucks can jell as a team, they have a strong chance to be contenders.

As long as Antetokounmpo continues his rise to superstardom, along with Parker remaining healthy, the Bucks aren't far away from becoming one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The optimism he feels should be shared by every NBA fan in Milwaukee.