In an interview with WTMJ, Milwaukee Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry discussed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s massive extension and what it means for the franchise.
The future of the Milwaukee Bucks certainly got brighter this week with the news of Giannis Antetokounmpo signing his five-year, $228 million supermax extension.
Just like that, the weight of the world lifted from the shoulders of the organization and the Bucks fanbase knowing that the two-time MVP’s future wasn’t destined elsewhere, at least for the foreseeable future.
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In the most recent episode of the ‘Buck Tales’ podcast hosted by WTMJ’s Justin Garcia, Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry discussed Antetokounmpo’s landmark decision to stay with the franchise he has called home for seven seasons and counting.
Having revealed that he found out about Giannis signing his extension on social media just like all Bucks fans, Lasry gave a peek into their innerworkings of how the negotiation unfolded that led to Antetokounmpo ultimately signing his supermax extension and their overall belief that he wanted to stay:
"“This was something we had been negotiating, talking and working with Giannis and his agent for the last couple of week. I think as Giannis said, he’s not someone who’s talking with his agent everyday. That’s not him and that was fine.We always felt that Milwaukee was a place Giannis wants to be. I think his statements had made that clear that Milwaukee was a place that he loved, that this was his hometown. We were always happy going through everything, just making him feel comfortable and showing we want to win just as bad as he does. I think that was something that was important to him because he wants to win a championship and he’s one of the most competitive people that you’re going to find.”"
While Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future remains with the Milwaukee Bucks, the desire to win a championship is on the organization’s mind.
Even with Antetokounmpo masking such a commitment to the Bucks by being under contract for at least the next five seasons, Lasry touched on the pressure to win at the highest level hasn’t dissipated whatsoever in light of this massive news:
"“This idea that we can now relax goes against what our pitch is (to Giannis). This isn’t now the time to relax, this is the time to amp up. We want to win a championship. We have a window right here that we’ve been the best team in the NBA for the last two years and haven’t been able to get over the hump. That’s something we want to do and that’s why we put all of our chips in the middle to go get Jrue and to bring these guys in.It obviously feels great. It’s awesome that Giannis wants to be here, loves it here and is committed the next five years. But we’re not taking our foot off the pedal by any means. This is a time where you go all in because they’re called a once-in-a-generation superstar for a reason because you just can’t find guys like Giannis that often.Even when you do find a guy like Giannis, to have a team where you already have Khris, Brook, Jrue, Donte emerging, you don’t want to let those things go to waste. Jon (Horst) and the rest of the front office and ownership are going to do everything we can to make sure that we bring a championship to Milwaukee. That’s what we said when we bought the team. That was the goal and I know Giannis doesn’t want to settle for anything less either.”"
When asked whether Antetokounmpo’s decision represents a win for small markets as a whole, Lasry came down on the side that Giannis’ decision and the circumstances behind it are unique to him and the Bucks’ overall trajectory:
"“I don’t think it’s necessarily big market versus small market. It’s more about how is the organization run. What are the types of things you’re doing to show the guys on your team that you care about winning, treat them with respect. You’re asking a lot of the players and you have to reciprocate in kind and do the things to put forth a strong team and a championship contender on the court.I don’t want to speak for Giannis or anything, but at the end of the day, he looked at the team, saw how committed we are to winning and want to bring a championship in the city. I think Giannis saw that, loved the city and loves the organization and team that’s around him and agreed we can go out and do this. I don’t know if it’s a win for small markets or whatever, but it’s a win for Milwaukee and a win for the Milwaukee Bucks and the whole state of Wisconsin.”"
Beyond discussing the many benefits of Antetokounmpo signing his supermax extension, Lasry’s interview with Garcia went into various other topics like seeing the Bucks play in the bubble down in Orlando and how the pandemic has affected the organization. I recommend all Bucks fans to check out the whole interview for all of those reasons and the reaction to Antetokounmpo’s decision as well.
With the start of the Bucks’ 2020-21 season now six days away from tipping off, another run for a title begins in earnest for Milwaukee. And it certainly feels better knowing that the Bucks’ superstar will be leading the charge both now and in the years to come.