Day: August 24, 2023

Giannis Antetokounmpo has revealed that he plans on not signing a three-year, $173 million extension with the Milwaukee Bucks when it is offered this September.

Antetokounmpo can make more money by signing an extension in 2024.

“The real question’s not going to be this year – numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said. “But next year, next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”

He added: “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”

Antetokounmpo would like to play in the NBA for at least 20 seasons and also only be on the Bucks, but that is predicated on the franchise remaining a title contender. The Bucks brought back most of their roster this offseason, but they parted ways with Mike Budenholzer and hired Adrian Griffin as head coach.

“You’ve got to see the dynamics,” he said. “How the coach is going to be, how we’re going to be together. At the end of the day, I feel like all my teammates know and the organization knows that I want to win a championship. As long as we’re on the same page with that and you show me and we go together to win a championship, I’m all for it. The moment I feel like, oh, yeah, we’re trying to rebuild -“

Antetokounmpo paused before he continued.

“There will never be hard feelings with the Milwaukee Bucks,” he said. “I believe that we’ve had 10 unbelievable years, and there’s no doubt I gave everything for the city of Milwaukee. Everything. Every single night, even when I’m hurt. I am a Milwaukee Buck. I bleed green. I know this.

“This is my team, and it’s going to forever be my team. I don’t forget people that were there for me and allowed me to be great and to showcase who I am to the world and gave me the platform. But we have to win another one.”

“But at the end of the day, being a winner, it’s over that goal,” he said. “Winning a championship comes first. I don’t want to be 20 years on the same team and don’t win another championship.”

The Charlotte Hornets unveiled a new Classic Edition jersey on Wednesday to celebrate the franchise’s 35 year anniversary.

The jersey features a teal silhouette with multi-colored double pinstripes, paying tribute to the jerseys the team wore from 1997-2002.

“We’re pleased to introduce a new Classic Edition uniform to be worn as part of our celebration of the 35^th Anniversary of the Charlotte Hornets inaugural season,” said Hornets President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield. “Throughout our history, the Hornets have been recognized for fashionable uniform designs, and we know our fans will be excited to see the look that our team wore from 1997-2002 back on the court in Charlotte.”

The Hornets will wear the uniforms for eight home games this season.

Damian Lillard publicly confirmed for the first time he requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers

“I can say that there was [a trade request] and I would just prefer not to speak on the Trail Blazers,” said Lillard to Marc J. Spears.

On July 28, the NBA sent out a memo to all 30 teams stating that if Lillard and his agent Aaron Goodwin made any future comments, privately to teams or publicly, suggesting Lillard will not “fully perform the services called for under his player contract in the event of a trade,” he would be subject to discipline by the league.

Lillard could be subject to league discipline for publicly acknowledging the trade request.

Lillard declined to comment on what ultimately led to the trade request.

“I’m not going to speak on the Blazers. It’s lot of love and respect, but I won’t speak on the Blazers.”

Lillard prefers a trade to the Miami Heat, but talks have not yet progressed.

“It’s higher than it’s ever been,” said Lillard on his motivation to win a title. “When you’re younger and you’re winning, you realize that you got time. When you establish yourself in the league and you know that you’re here to stay, you feel like you have time. The older you get, that just means more time that you’ve put into it, especially when you’re at the top of the game and you’re having all these individual accomplishments, it becomes more and more of a priority to have the ultimate accomplishment, which is why we play the game, in winning the championship.

“I would say the desire for that now is as high as it’s probably going to be. That’s literally the thing at the top of my list. When I wake up and I got to get up and go do what I got to do, I got to train, I got to make time for my kids, I still got to lift, I got to do all these things and I got to make sure that training and the preparation is still my priority. Even with being a father of three now, not one, and having all these other responsibilities, you need something that you feel pretty strong about to stay committed the way I’ve been committed. It’s as high as it’s going to get. That’s ultimately what I want to experience and that’s what I want to get done.”

Regardless of the outcome, Lillard plans to stay rooted in Portland.

“I love the city of Portland,” Lillard said. “Every initiative that I’ve started, I’ll continue and I’ll finish regardless of anything. The love will be that because the way I’ve said I feel about Portland is how I feel about Portland. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. It’s been fine. It’s been what it’s always been …

“[Portland-area residents] just tell me they love me. That’s literally what they say. ‘Dame, we love you. We thank you for everything.’ That’s the dialogue. It’s pretty simple and to the point.”