'I'm not there yet' in his quest to be among the all-time greats

MIAMI (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo’s family home in Greece has a balcony that gives him what he describes as an incredible view of Athens. The nighttime routine when he’s there typically goes like this: grab some fruit, head outside, gaze out at his homeland, let time just drift away.

In those moments, his mind always seems to wander.

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Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) grabs a rebound against the Chicago Bulls during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is recovering from COVID-19, sits behind his team's bench as he watches the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is recovering from COVID-19, sits behind his team’s bench as he watches the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, left, defends against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) passes the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Brooks Barnhizer (23) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo calls a play during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)

“I just sit out there and think about what’s important for me,” Antetokounmpo said. “And every time I come to the conclusion: legacy. What I’m going to be remembered for.”

Regardless of what happens between now — the start of his 13th season in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee Bucks — and whenever Antetokounmpo decides that his playing days are over, much of that legacy is already secure.

He’s won a championship. He’s been an MVP. He’s been an NBA Finals MVP. He’s a perennial All-Star and All-NBA pick. He’s one of only seven players born somewhere other than the 50 states of the U.S. to have reached the 20,000-point mark. This summer, he led Greece to its first EuroBasket medal in 16 years.

But he wants more. Much more. Despite the resume, which is elite by any standard, Antetokounmpo doesn’t think he would be considered an all-time great yet. And that’s why on those Athens nights, while enjoying that plate of fruit, he convinces himself there’s more to accomplish.

“Giannis is one of the best players in the world. We think he’s the best player in the world,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. “Every time you have a season with him, you think you have a chance to win.”

Those aren’t just words. Over the last eight seasons combined, there have been 152 players who have appeared in at least 400 regular-season games. Of those, no player has been a winner more regularly than Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks’ winning percentage in regular season games where he’s played over that span is .671 — the best in the NBA. (Over those regular seasons, Boston has a .670 winning percentage when Jayson Tatum is in the lineup, Philadelphia has a .670 winning percentage when Joel Embiid plays, and James Harden’s teams — the 76ers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn and Houston — also have a .670 winning percentage when he has played.)

“Everything Giannis says is about the team and about being a better team, so I don’t have to do that,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Every part of Giannis says that. If you read his comments this summer, every comment he’s made is about being in Milwaukee and loving this city.”

And yet, the speculation is constant that Antetokounmpo’s story might not end in Milwaukee.

Trade talks are a constant in the NBA, and to be fair, there’s nothing stopping any team from calling another team to inquire about what it may take to acquire someone who happens to be on their roster. It is certain that Antetokounmpo’s name has been in trade talks. It is also certain that the Bucks — if they ever do move him elsewhere — won’t simply give him away.

“I’ve said this many times: I want to be in situations (where) I can win and now I’m here,” Antetokounmpo said. “I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I’m here to lead this team to wherever we can go. And it’s definitely going to be hard. We’re going to take it day by day, but I’m here. So, all the other extra stuff does not matter.”

That sounds good for Milwaukee.

And then he added, “Now, in six or seven months I change my mind, I think that’s human, too.”

That doesn’t sound so good for Milwaukee.

He continued, “My decision today is that I’m here and I’m committed to this team.”

Which sounds good for Milwaukee again.

The circle of will-he-or-won’t-he will never end, at least until such time that Antetokounmpo actually gets traded (possible), leaves as a free agent (unlikely) or retires (inevitable, but not expected anytime soon).

He could finish his career in Milwaukee. He could finish his career in Greece. He might find himself part of whatever new European league the NBA is trying to launch in 2027 or 2028 — probably 2027.

For now, it’s Milwaukee. He’s one of only two players who have averaged at least 30 points a game in each of the last three seasons, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder being the other. His numbers will keep climbing, his legacy will keep growing.

“It’s not about stats no more,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s about how can we do great things on the court. How can we put ourselves in a position that we can win accolades as a team. And that’s what’s left. Every basketball player, every athlete, starts a career and they have this quest of what they want to accomplish and what to be remembered for. And I think at this point, I’ve accomplished everything that I’ve put my mind to.”

He was asked if he sees himself in the same category as the undisputed greats in NBA history, the likes of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a few others. The truly elite.

Antetokounmpo didn’t hesitate before answering.

“That’s the goal,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m not there yet. They’re like top 10 all-time. I’ve got a lot of work to do. But I’m going to be there.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — As the government shutdown drags on with no end in sight, a new AP-NORC poll finds that most Americans see it as a significant problem — and all of the major players are being blamed.

Roughly 6 in 10 Americans say President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. At least three-quarters of Americans believe each deserves at least a “moderate” share of blame, underscoring that no one is successfully evading responsibility.

The survey, conducted as the shutdown stretched into its third week, comes as leaders warn it could soon become the longest in history. Democrats are demanding an extension of tax credits that have helped millions of people afford health insurance since the coronavirus pandemic, while Republicans have refused to negotiate until Congress passes a funding bill to reopen the government.

The standoff has become a messaging battle, with each party betting the public will blame the other. The stakes are especially high for Democrats, now out of power and searching for a unifying fight to rally around ahead of pivotal 2026 midterm elections.

Slightly more of the public’s frustration appears to be aimed at the party in power. The poll finds that about half of Americans say Trump has “a great deal” of responsibility for the shutdown, the very highest amount of responsibility offered in the poll. That’s roughly the same share who fault Republicans in Congress, but higher than the 40% who say the same of Democrats.

Sophia Cole, a 38-year-old Republican mother from St. Louis, placed equal blame for the shutdown on Trump and Congress. Cole, who described herself as a Trump supporter, said both sides “should be able to come together” on a compromise but believes it is ultimately the Republican president’s responsibility to broker a deal.

“We’re dependent on him to get the House and everyone to vote the way that he needs them to vote,” Cole said.

The effects of the shutdown are beginning to be felt across the country. Flights have been delayed, and hundreds of thousands of federal employees who are furloughed or working without pay are starting to miss paychecks.

The poll finds that 54% of U.S. adults call the shutdown a “major issue,” with just 11% saying it is “not a problem at all.” Democrats are most likely, at 69%, to see it as a major problem, but 59% of independents and 37% of Republicans feel the same way.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said this week the country is “barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history.” The last shutdown, during Trump’s first term, went to for a record 35 days and drew similar public sentiment, with Democrats more likely than Republicans to see it as a major problem.

The White House has warned the impact of the shutdown could be worse this time. While roughly 2 million service members were paid on time this week, the administration has used the federal workforce as leverage, and last weekend it began following through on threats to lay off federal workers. But on Wednesday, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked the firings, saying they appeared to be politically motivated and were being carried out without much thought.

“Things are just going to keep getting worse for federal workers,” said Angie Santiago, a 60-year-old Democrat from Miami. “If people like me are struggling, I can’t imagine what federal workers are going through.”

Santiago, who is on disability while her husband works, said she fears the shutdown will worsen economic hardship across the country. Santiago said during a phone interview that she began regularly going to food banks about a year ago.

“I’m calling you from a food line,” she said. “You’re going to see more of these lines popping up. It’s going to get bad.”

At the center of the shutdown is a stalemate over federal tax credits for people who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Democrats want the credits extended, while Republicans say they will discuss the issue only once the government reopens.

The poll shows that roughly 4 in 10 U.S. adults support extending the tax credits, while about 1 in 10 oppose it outright. A large share, 42%, have no opinion, suggesting many Americans are not closely following the core dispute driving the shutdown.

Jason Beck, a Republican who is a self-employed insurance agent in Utah, uses the Affordable Care Act marketplace for his own insurance and supports extending the tax credits.

“I know a lot of the shutdown is over health insurance, and I’d rather just keep it the same way it is now,” Beck said of the subsidies.

Democrats say that keeping health insurance prices the same is central to their fight and that prices will skyrocket if Congress doesn’t do anything. But even Beck, who is on the Democrats’ side with the subsidies, still places equal blame for the shutdown on Democrats, Republicans and Trump.

“Trump’s blaming the Democrats, and the Democrats are blaming the Republicans,” Beck said. “We’re stuck because there’s no middle ground anymore.”

Both parties have framed the shutdown as a prelude to the 2026 midterms, with Democrats aiming to flip the House. So far, however, it doesn’t appear to have meaningfully shifted opinions about either party.

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Democratic Party, in line with an AP-NORC poll from September. Four in 10 have a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of the Republican Party, similar to last month.

Confidence in Congress, meanwhile, remains extremely low. Only about 4% of Americans say they have “a great deal” of confidence in the way Congress is being run, while 43% have “only some” confidence and about half have “hardly any” confidence.

But the poll suggests that health care could be a helpful issue for Democrats down the road. The poll found that 38% of Americans trust Democrats to do a better job handling health care, while only 25% trust Republicans more. About 1 in 10 trust both equally, and 25% trust neither.

Rob Redding, a 49-year-old independent voter from New York, supports extending ACA subsidies and credits Democrats for defending them.

Redding said Democrats holding the line on the ACA subsidies is probably one of the most valiant and gutsy things he’s ever seen them do.

“And,” Redding said, “I think that it’s the right call.”

The AP-NORC poll of 1,289 adults was conducted Oct. 9-13, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the federal government shutdown at https://apnews.com/hub/government-shutdown.

‘I’m not there yet’ in his quest to be among the all-time greats

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