Giannis Antetokounmpo may be closer to the end of his NBA career than people expected. During a late night TV show in Greece, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar revealed that he could leave the NBA for Greece in just six years.
Antetokounmpo turns 31 in December.
“I’m 30 years old, I can play in the NBA until I’m 36-38. I would like to end my career with a Greek team, why not?” Antetokounmpo continued ANT1’s The 2night Show. “I don’t want to live in the United States. As soon as I leave the NBA, I want to return to Greece.”
“I could end my career here [in Greece]Whether this team is called Filathlitikos, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos or Aris, I am now talking about all the teams.”
There has been unprecedented speculation lately about Antetokounmpo’s immediate future. His tenure with the Bucks appears to be much closer to its end based on recent comments and his repeated desire to compete for a championship.
Milwaukee has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs three seasons in a row.
What does an early Antetokounmpo exit mean for the legacy?
Antetokoumpo has accomplished so much in the NBA at this point. He has made nine All-Star and All-NBA teams. He is a five-time All-Defensive Team member and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-2020. He is a two-time MVP, winning the 2021 All-Star Game MVP and the 2025 In-Season Tournament MVP.
Most importantly for him, he won an NBA title and Finals MVP in 2021.
Another title would catapult him up the all-time charts, but what about individual records?
Antetokounmpo currently sits at 48th on the all-time list. He averaged more than 2,000 points over the past four seasons. If he could do that for five more seasons, he could crack the top ten.
He also ranks 69th on the all-time rebounding list. If he can continue his current pace and collect around 4,000 rebounds over the next five seasons, he would flirt with the top 20.
As he enters his 13th season, we also have to keep in mind that Antetokounmpo relies heavily on his athleticism. He has suffered from injuries in recent years and it is therefore a fair question whether he can actually maintain this same pace over the next five years.
Right now, he’s an MVP candidate who can be the best player on the floor every night.
Greek fans would be happy if they could see him with their own eyes every night, no matter what stage of his career he is at.
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