While the giant Giannis Antetokounmpo mural in downtown Milwaukee remains, the star player himself bid farewell to the city with a video posted to social media.
The slick production is narrated by Antetokounmpo as highlights and moving moments from his career flash on the screen.
It comes after Antrokounmpo officially was traded to the Miami Heat for four players, three first-round draft picks and other compensation.
“The city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin, I want them to remember this from me,” Antetokounmpo begins. “”Don’t worry about the basket. Don’t worry about the championship. Don’t worry about the wins. Don’t worry about the losses.
“I tried to be like them. I believe the city of Milwaukee is blue-collar. It’s people that work extremely hard every single day. They give all their hard-earned money, just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks. To come and feel something. To come to be a part of us.
“I hope that I was able to represent them, the best that I could. And I was like them. I showed up to work, did everything. I was willing to do all the dirty work, just like them.”
In 13 seasons in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo won two MVP awards, along with a most-improved-player award and a defensive-player-of-the-year honor. Known as “The Greek Freak,” he guided the Bucks to the NBA title in 2021, the franchise’s first championship since 1971.
Over 895 regular-season games (830 starts), the 31-year-old averaged 24.1 points with 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists after he was the 15th overall selection in the 2013 draft. In 84 playoff games, he averaged 33.0 points with 15.4 points and 6.6 assists. He was a 10-time All-Star.
His message to the city continued in the video:
“I hope that bringing a trophy to the city meant something to them, because it meant so much to me.
“I want you to hear it from my mouth. The city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart. This is my home. And this is a place that I had my kids. My mom is here. My father is here. My brothers played here. It made me the man that I am today. That will never, ever change.
“No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family.”
The video ends with a young Antetokounmpo declaring that he wants to be an NBA player one day and NBA commissioner David Stern announcing his name during the 2013 draft.
As the video made the rounds, Bucks general manager Jon Horst chimed in to explain the trade.
“This decision is in the best interest of both the Bucks and Giannis,” Horst wrote in a letter to Milwaukee fans. “I understand the emotions this news brings, and I share them. I’m confident our path forward provides a strong foundation for sustained success. As we begin the next chapter of Bucks basketball, we do so with optimism, purpose and a clear vision to build on our standard of excellence while strengthening our competitive identity and winning culture under the leadership of our new head coach, Taylor Jenkins.”
A longer version of the interview where Antetokounmpo’s narration came from is available at his YouTube channel.
–Field Level Media
