During the latest episode of Carmelo Anthony 's 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, Melo, The Kid Mero, and guest Jay Pharaoh talked about NBA superstars who played their entire league careers with only one city.
When looking at the current stars in the league, they agreed that Stephen Curry could be the last of his kind to play an entire career with a single NBA franchise. Anthony then reconsidered, saying that San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama might be one. However, Melo also dismissed Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as a lifer in Milwaukee.
"Giannis is out in 48 hours," said Anthony. "Giannis is out in the season. If this half of the season don't go well, he's out of here. Get the fu** out of here. Hey Giannis, you better not leave my boy Dame over there like that man. Don't leave my son over there like that. Cuz if this thing don't work out, better get them trade packages ready."
Not the 'Greek Freak's' final destination
Among active NBA players, Curry's 15-year tenure in Golden State is the longest by any player with the team that drafted him. Steph's Warriors teammate Draymond Green is next with 12. Interestingly, the third man on the list is Giannis at eleven seasons.
Antetokounmpo was the Bucks' 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Giannis has gone from a project into one of the best players in the league, improving every year in his eleven campaigns in Milwaukee.
'The Greek Freak' has won two MVPs, one DPOY, one Finals MVP, and one NBA championship ring during his successful Bucks tenure. Despite the accolades and accomplishments, many are still determining if Milwaukee is Antetokounmpo's final destination.
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Giannis' extension was just for three years
Before the start of the 2023-24 season, the Greek national signed a three-year extension deal with the Bucks worth $186 million, ending speculation that he will hit free agency in 2025. However, Antetokounmpo is only 29 years old, which means that when his new deal is up, there will still be a lot of basketball ahead of him.
Not surprisingly, the duration of Antetokounmpo's latest deal coincides with the expiration of Damian Lillard's existing contract. This means that Giannis wanted to avoid committing past Dame, which tells us that his decision-making is based on team success rather than franchise loyalty.
Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, John Stockton, and Reggie Miller gutted it out with their original teams despite losing seasons at the end. For Stockton and Miller, they did it even if it meant ending their careers without a ring. That may not be the case with Giannis. And if Carmelo is correct, what happens this coming season could be crucial to the Bucks' fate.
Related: "Everybody was basically telling me not to stay" - Giannis on signing a contract extension with the Bucks
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