Giannis Antetokounmpo wasted no time making his stance clear after returning from injury, firmly shutting down trade speculation that surfaced during his absence from the Milwaukee Bucks lineup.
Im here. Im here. Im here, Antetokounmpo said. Dont ask me that question. Im here. Its disrespectful towards myself and my teammates. I wear that jersey every single day. Disrespectful towards the organization, my coaching staff, myself, and people that work hard for me to come out and say I dont want to be here.
Antetokounmpos return was felt immediately, not only through his on-court impact but also through a moment late in the game that drew attention around the league.
With the Bucks already holding a comfortable lead and the clock winding down, Antetokounmpo threw down a windmill dunk in the dying seconds of the game, a play that upset several Bulls players.
After the game, Antetokounmpo explained his mindset in a lengthy and candid response.
What, were 11th in the East? Are we 11th in the East or 12th? 11th? Just gotta keep finding our identity, Antetokounmpo said. And if that is to get a little bit of scrappy at the end, so be it. Like, were not the champs. Why should we play the clock out and have respect and fair play? Like were fighting for our lives right now. This is real talk, Ive been 13 years in the league, if we keep on losing, brother, probably half of the teams not gonna be here. Were not going to make the playoffs (in 11th). Like I really dont care. At the end of the day, I just want to be available, be healthy, and help my team win. And if thats what has to happen for them everybody to wake up and understand like were fighting for our lives and we gotta get our hands dirty, so be it.
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