(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Milwaukee Bucks history can be divided into three eras.
There’s the Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) era, the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, and everything in between.
However, things could’ve been quite different.
Giannis led the Bucks to the NBA championship in the 2020-21 season, shortly after signing the largest contract in NBA history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals he almost retired in 2020
“In 2020, I was ready to walk away from the game. I had that conversation – yes – with the front office.”
(Via Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) pic.twitter.com/QojqmAei2t
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 12, 2023
Even so, he recently admitted that he was pretty close to retiring in 2020, and he went as far as to discuss it with the front office.
Giannis claimed that he wasn’t happy with basketball anymore, which is why he was ready to just walk away from all that money.
Needless to say, that prompted plenty of reactions on social media, as fans were either in disbelief or thankful for the fact that he didn’t retire.
Giannis is pretty open and honest most the time but this is giving real LeBron vibes
— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) April 12, 2023
The Bubble had him debating his love for the game
— Kambui Bomani (@BomaniKambui) April 12, 2023
I know this is one blurb without all the context necessary to react properly but man…. pic.twitter.com/ic9YuO7xX8
— Kory Waldron (@KWalHoops) April 12, 2023
Adam silver scripted his hospital ring so he didn’t retire, needed views on vids of him eating skittles
— Djboss (@DjbossNA) April 12, 2023
He was struggling with mental health issues. He was ready to walk away from his big contract he signed.
— Pam (@lilkasperss) April 12, 2023
Giannis would wind up leading his team to the ultimate glory that very same season.
He entered history books and cemented his Hall of Fame legacy before turning 27 years old, not to mention all the generational wealth he made that year alone.
The Greek Freak has done more than enough to be considered one of the greatest players in NBA history, at least résumé-wise.
But he’s also been quite open about dealing with anxiety and mental health issues, so it’s nice to see that he’s found a way to keep grinding and find the joy in the game again.
Now, let’s just hope that he stays happy for many more years, as the league is always better when the best are on the court, and he’s definitely one of the best.
The post Fans React To Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Shocking Retirement Claim appeared first on The Cold Wire.