Everything Giannis Said About NBA Trade Rumors, Long-Term Commitment to Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is setting the record straight amid the continued trade speculation surrounding him.
Antetokounmpo made it clear that he won't be personally requesting a trade from the Bucks this season or in any other year.
"There will never be a chance, and there will never be a moment, that I will come out and say 'I want a trade,'" Antetokounmpo told The Athletic's Sam Amick. "That's not … in … my … nature. OK?"
Antetokounmpo has publicly maintained his commitment to the Bucks, but that hasn't stopped rumors from swirling about his perceived desire to leave Milwaukee to join a contending team. The Bucks fell to 16-21 with Wednesday night's 120-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors, but the 31-year-old still takes exception to outsiders speculating about his level of happiness in Milwaukee.
"I can only control what comes out of my mouth. And not one time have I shown that I'm not invested in this team," Antetokounmpo said. "And if there was a time on the basketball court where you've seen that, "Oh, Giannis doesn't look like he wants to be a part of this team no more," I want you to pinpoint that. There's never been an interview where I've said that. So I don't know why people discredit what I say."
If that wasn't definitive enough, the two-time NBA MVP made it clear that he doesn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, and he feels the Bucks have what it takes to get back on track this season.
"I am not (going anywhere). I am invested in this team. I want to turn this team around," Antetokounmpo said. "I want to play good basketball. I want to be healthy. I want to help my teammates. I wanna win games. The last six games we've played, we're 4-2. We have a lot of games in front of us. I'm locked the f--k in. I'm locked in. My priority is just staying healthy."
Anything can happen between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, and Antetokounmpo knows that, but he reiterated that any deal won't be his doing.
"You know, for me, right now, today, I am committed — not 100 percent, but one million percent to my teammates, to my craft, to this team, and to this city. One million percent," he said. "I don't look right. I don't look left. I look only to the next game, which is the [Los Angeles] Lakers, and I want to win the game. I want us to stack wins before the All-Star game to get ourselves back to the race."
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