By Stefan Djordjevic / info@eurohoops.net
The two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo penned his five-year, $228.2 million supermax extension with the Milwaukee Bucks, the largest deal in NBA history.
There was much debate whether the signature will happen right now or at all, and the news stormed through the basketball community with the majority giving Giannis a ‘thumbs up’ for the decision.
The LA Lakers‘ LeBron James also shared his positive opinion and compared his own situation to Giannis’s.
“I don’t know if I can relate to his situation, all of our situations are different. Totally different, actually. They tried to build something great for him and obviously, they did enough to keep him there. I think it’s great that he’s staying there and he’s committed to that franchise and that’s what it’s all about… My situation and his situation, there are no similarities in it. It’s totally different.”
Another 2020 NBA finalist in the Miami Heat‘s Jimmy Butler talked about Giannis staying in Milwaukee and he (as always) welcomes the challenge. Miami was actually one of the main candidates to bring Giannis over had he not signed the extension.
“I like it. I don’t think you can go around him. I don’t think you can go around LeBron either. You have to go right through them. You have to beat them. You also have to beat the Sixers, Boston, Toronto. There’s a lot of squads in the East with some really good players. Doesn’t intimidate me none. I actually get excited for it. I want to go up against the best, my guys want to go up against the best. That’s our way to show we belong. That’s how we get our respect,” he said and added.
“He’s a hell of a player. He wants to be great. It’s our job to get better, each and every day, each and every year. He’s done a phenomenal job at it. They got a good core group around him. It’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be fun to watch. It’s going to be fun to go to battle against those guys.”