Giannis Antetokounmpo: ‘Disrespectful to teammates to say I don’t want to be here’

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo made it clear he has no intention of distancing himself from Milwaukee, pushing back on any suggestion that he wants out.

“I’m here, I committed, I’m wearing the jersey, and it is disrespectful to my teammates, to my coaching staff, to the people that I go and sweat with, and go to war with, to say, ‘I don’t want to be here’ − and I will never do that,” Antetokounmpo told the Journal Sentinel.

“Now, what goes on in private rooms? It’s not my job, it’s not my responsibility, and it should not − in no shape or form − be shared in public. I believe in etiquette. I believe in human etiquette, I believe in basketball etiquette. So with my owners, I have addressed what I feel and what I believe the situation is.

“Same with my GM, same with my coaches.

The comments come amid growing tension between Antetokounmpo and the organization, as well as an ongoing NBA investigation into how the Bucks have handled his injury status. He also responded to remarks made by co-owner Wes Edens about his contract status.

“And for me, that [Edens] comment was a slap [in] the face,” Antetokounmpo told the Journal Sentinel. “But, it’s my boss. So I just gotta keep on moving forward.”

Antetokounmpo emphasized that while internal conversations may take place, he has no interest in airing them publicly or creating distractions for the team.

As detailed earlier, the relationship between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks has shown major signs of strain, particularly regarding communication and his current injury situation.