FINISHED IN MILWAUKEE, GIANNIS WILL HELP THE NBA AND HIMSELF IN MIAMI
The end of Lillard and a choke job in Indiana — along with the strange sight of Tyrese Halburton’s father in his face after Game 5 — should be enough for Antetokounmpo to escape the Bucks for new life
Never has Goodbye, with a hard “G” and a harder “b,” slammed into a superstar’s face as it did Tuesday night in Indianapolis. Giannis Antetokounmpo, without Damian Lillard and his torn Achilles tendon perhaps forever, was eliminated from another postseason when the Pacers scored the last eight points. The last basket, with 1.3 seconds left in overtime, came when Tyrese Haliburton charged past him for the winning layup.
Then came the final buzzer and the sight of Tyrese’s father, John, waving a towel in Antetokounmpo’s face and swearing at him. They had to be separated by Milwaukee’s security guards. To his credit, he didn’t respond when many losers would have hurled a punch at John after what could be recalled as a massive defeat.
“Losing the game, emotions run high," Antetokounmpo said. "Having a fan — which at the moment I thought it was a fan, but then I realized it was Tyrese's dad. Which I love Tyrese — I think he's a great competitor. His dad coming on the floor and showing me his son — a towel with his face on (it), (saying) 'This is what we do. This is what we F— do. This the F we do. We do this.’ I feel like that's very, very disrespectful.
“I believe in being humble in victory. A lot of people out there that are like, no, when you win the game, you talk s— and it's a green light for you to be disrespectful towards somebody else. I disagree. I’ve won the championship. They haven’t.”
Even Haliburton interrupted his own press conference to apologize. “I don't agree with what transpired there from him," he said. "Basketball is basketball and let's keep it on the court. I think he just got excited, saw his son make a game-winner and came on the court, but we had a conversation. He needs to allow me to play basketball and stay over there and I'll come to him to celebrate. I talked with him. I'll talk with Giannis. I don't think my pops was in the right at all there." After Game 5, Antetokounmpo wrapped his hand around the neck of an opponent, Bennedict Mathurin, hardly an example of self-prescribed humility.
It was at that point in time, in the 12th season of a career with only one NBA title, did Antetokounmpo begin to believe his basketball life requires a change of scenery. The Bucks have tried everything possible to win other championships — acquiring Lillard, hiring Doc Rivers to replace Mike Budenholzer as coach — but the Giannis Era has gone colder than Wisconsin in winter. He has spoken before about the pressures to win in a small market and signed a contract to remain in Brewtown into 2027. He cannot stay. The time has come to help Giannis and help the NBA make the most of a premier player, who is just 30.
He isn’t ready to discuss it. “I'm not going to do this. Whatever I say, I know how it's going to translate,” he said. “I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still competing and going back out there. I just have to be better — as a team, we work hard. We play the right way. Not being able to win games definitely hurts, but you gotta keep doing what you're doing.”
Next? This would be a fine time to summon Antetokounmpo’s past words and try to rescue the professional reputations of Jerry and Michael Reinsdorf. Ninety miles to the south, in Chicago, a father and a son have trashed the legacy of Michael Jordan and a dynasty and desperately need a star to rejuvenate the Bulls. Once, Giannis said, “I think anybody you ask that question [to] who plays basketball, if he said no, he would be a liar. It’s a team that won multiple championships. It’s a team that one of the greatest players – if not the greatest player – 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 play for Chicago. But right now, I’m committed to Milwaukee.”
Well, the men who run the Bucks don’t want to be placed on a grill with bratwursts. Trading Antetokounmpo to Chicago is the worst of two evils. More likely, the choices would involve the Miami Heat, who would return Tyler Herro to his hometown and send first-round draft picks along with veterans. The trade of Jimmy Butler to Golden State already is haunting Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra, who have seen Heat Culture vanish. GIannis would bring it back. His presence in South Florida would secure him a better statue than Dwyane Wade. That’s my choice.
The Brooklyn Nets have assembled draft assets — first-round picks galore — and have eyed an Antetokounmpo deal with possibilities in Cam Thomas and Cameron Johnson. The Houston Rockets have a nice future and could include Amen Thompson. Imagine Oklahoma City arranging a deal and winning titles until the next decade. There is hope for Giannis that he can triumph elsewhere. He understands the importance of winning more than one.
“I’m trying to win a second ring,” he said recently on his brother’s podcast. “For me, my personal goal, if I’m not able to help my team win a second ring, I’m letting down myself. I really want to win a second one.”
Los Angeles? When Luka Doncic was traded, Antetokounmpo said, “I thought it was fake news. It’s insane.” If Doncic is serious about a long-term deal with the Lakers, the apron culture of major NBA finances makes a Giannis deal unlikely. The Clippers have opened a wonderful arena and will need help when Kawhi Leonard and James Harden leave. How about Boston, with difficulties involving new ownership, trading Jaylen Brown. We can dream.
The NBA and its media partners don’t want to waste him in Milwaukee. Giannis needs to be awakened. If Tyrese Haliburton didn’t do it, maybe John did. “I sincerely apologize to Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Pacers organization for my actions following tonight's game,” Dad posted on social media. “This was not a good reflection on our sport or my son and I will not make that mistake again."
The league has golden destinations. Milwaukee for a dozen years was too long.
Miami works. The “h” in hello is much softer.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.