At All-Star media day, Giannis Antetokounmpo offered much the same response as he has on other occasions when asked about his Milwaukee Bucks future. Could he imagine himself in another situation, on another team? "Always." Players do that all the time.
His mindset right now?Â
"There will never be a situation or a moment of time that I won't commit to my teammates, to my coaches, and to the front office, the fans that have believed in me for 13 years.Â
So right now, as of today, I'm a Milwaukee Buck, and I'm committed to that. Now, what happens if things move and change in the future? That change, I can't control that. If I could predict the future, trust me, I'd be a billionaire."
Where have we heard that before?
At face value, those comments add little to what Giannis has said before. His demeanor and tone, however, carried an appreciable difference. His past responses on the topic have often been somber. Here, he seemed loose and excited. It might be overlooked by most, but to Bucks fans, at least, that should mean something.
Giannis' familiar message came with a different delivery
Antetokounmpo spoke with his typical candor. Of course he has imagined himself in another jersey, playing with different teammates. But even as he established that fact, he delivered the message with a gleam of performative humor, pretending to click through channels on a TV remote.Â
I watch the game, I'm like, 'Oh, OKC is on. How could I fit with OKC. Oh, San Antonio is on. How could I fit? Oh, the Memphis Grizzlies. If I played with Ja, would I be good with Ja?'"
Giannis described how his younger, kid self would imagine playing for storied franchises like the Lakers, the Celtics, or the Knicks. "What if I get drafted by the Boston Celtics?"Â
While he straddled the fence once again, deftly avoiding categorical declarations, Antetokounmpo also cracked jokes and amused himself. His goofy side is well known, but on this particular topic, the scene supplied a stark contrast to the sober, at times gloomy locker room interviews coming off a frustrating loss.
This time, there was no ugly defeat to break down beforehand, no exhaustion from the grind of a 48-minute game. No imminent uncertainty. Trade season is over. Those conversations won't resume in earnest until the summer.
Instead, Giannis fielded questions in a festive atmosphere, where he coached an All-Star Celebrity team and watched his former teammate Damian Lillard win the 3-Point Contest for a record-tying third time.Â
It would be easy to read too much into the context or try to conduct a psychoanalysis. Perhaps the setting made all the difference. But outwardly, the change was palpable. This was not the all too familiar image of a game-weary Greek Freak, hemmed in by a sea of microphones while in front of his locker.Â
None of this is to say that Giannis is any less likely to leave Milwaukee to pursue a second title elsewhere if the season ends poorly and he can't see a path forward to contending. What aspect of his remarks will general media coverage target?
Headline: Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals childhood dream of playing in Madison Square Garden.
But for Bucks fans, it's hard not to be relieved to hear him sounding refreshed, eager, and excited to rejoin his teammates to make the most of the season at hand. The two newest Bucks, Cam Thomas and Ousmane Dieng, have certainly provided reasons to be enthused.Â
After the team hit the break winning five of six games, even tentative positive vibes are a welcome change after all the gloom, doom, and uncertainty that have characterized much of the season. A healthy, motivated Giannis might right this ship after all.