Giannis Antetokounmpo Teases Chicago Bulls Fans With Windy City Pipe Dream
SportsMoney Giannis Antetokounmpo Teases Chicago Bulls Fans With Windy City Pipe Dream Jason Patt Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about the NBA, with a focus on the Chicago Bulls. New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Aug 15, 2022, 08:48pm EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 24: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks to move against ... [+] (L-R) Alex Caruso #6, DeMar DeRozan #11 and Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Chicago Bulls during Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at the United Center on April 24, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) Getty Images Its the dog days of the NBA offseason, which is when fans are looking to latch onto anything for some excitement. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo provided that to Chicago Bulls fans during a recent press appearance in which he said hes open to playing for the Bulls down the line. Giannis was asked by FOX 32s Lou Canellis about the possibility of joining the Bulls when his contract with the Bucks is up. Antetokounmpo signed a five-year, $228 million supermax contract in 2020 after endless rumors about his possible exit from Milwaukee. The contract takes him through 2026, but he has a player option worth nearly $52 million in 2025-26 and could hit free agency in 2025 when hes 30 years old. "I think anybody you ask that question that plays basketball, if he said no, he would be a liar," Antetokounmpo said, via NBC Sports Chicago . "It's (the Bulls) a team that won multiple championships. It's a team that one of the greatest players if not the greatest player to ever play this game played for. So it's a no-brainer. Everybody would love to play for Chicago. "Down the line, you never know. You never know how life brings it. Maybe I'll play for Chicago. But right now I'm committed to Milwaukee." Antetokounmpo was just a toddler during the Bulls second three-peat led by Michael Jordan, but His Airness and that dynasty helped make the franchise a popular worldwide brand. Theres also an amusing anecdote in Mirin Faders Giannis biography, Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP , that features a young Antetokounmpo in Greece watching NBA highlights, pointing to a Chicago Bulls uniform and saying, One day, Im going to be wearing one of those jerseys in the NBA. MORE FOR YOU WWE Extreme Rules 2021 Results: Winners, News And Notes As Roman Reigns Beats The Demon The Worlds Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2021: Manchester Uniteds Cristiano Ronaldo Reclaims Top Spot From PSGs Lionel Messi The Good, Bad And Ugly From The Green Bay Packers Win Over The San Francisco 49ers So Giannis is definitely joining the Bulls in a few years, right?! As fun as it is to think about, probably not. While a lot can change in the coming years and nothing should ever be ruled out, Antetokounmpo was likely just having some fun and pandering in response to a Chicago reporter asking a question about the hometown team. And maybe he was sending a subtle message to Bucks management in the process to make sure they do all they can to win more championships after breaking through in 2021. It would be surprising for Giannis to leave the Bucks for the Central Division rival right down the road. Hes a hero in Milwaukee thanks to that 2021 title and seems like a guy who could follow in the footsteps of Dirk Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant and play 20-plus seasons with one team. If Antetokounmpo were to actually leave Milwaukee for Chicago at some point, it feels like something that would happen at the tail end of his career and not when hes still in his prime at 30 or 31 years old. Think of Dwyane Wade joining the Bulls in 2016 instead of 2010. But, as much of a pipe dream as this is, juicy quotes like this are great to overreact to when things are boring in the summer. Bulls fans needed some excitement ahead of the 2022-23 schedule release on Wednesday, and this delivered. Follow me on Twitter . Jason Patt Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 12:48 am