After bringing Greece its first medal in 16 years, winning bronze at the recently finished EuroBasket where he played phenomenally and earned a spot in the All-Tournament Five, Giannis Antetokounmpo once again proved what kind of winner he is.

He did the same in 2021, when, in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, he scored 50 points to deliver the Milwaukee Bucks their first title in franchise history since 1971, when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson led the Bucks to their first NBA championship. Things are simple regarding Giannis’s impact on winning—wherever he shows up, he wins, both individually and as part of a team.

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In a conversation with the Greek media outlet Sport24, Greek Freak revealed how much winning makes him happy, but also hinted that playing in an unambitious environment doesn’t interest him.

“I love challenges, I need pressure. If I’m somewhere with no pressure, somewhere I don’t believe we can succeed, I don’t want to be there. Simple as that. I want to be happy. I deserve it and I worked for it. And what makes me happy is winning,” the 2021 NBA champion said.

Antetokounmpo is no longer on a roster with real title potential

Of course, these statements will draw plenty of attention across the league since Antetokounmpo is no longer on a roster with real title potential for the first time in a long time. Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are gone from the championship team, while the Damian Lillard experiment ended unsuccessfully.

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In the meantime, the Bucks have changed three head coaches and were eliminated twice in the first round and once in the second. Their future doesn’t look promising either—they don’t control their draft picks until 2031, and they’re still paying Lillard’s massive contract, which keeps their salary cap in disarray.

This could also push Milwaukee’s front office to consider ending the relationship with their two-time MVP. Giannis himself has mentally prepared for that possibility.

“Look, I hope it never happens, but I’m expecting it too. Just because you’ve given a lot to the team doesn’t mean the team won’t do what’s best for itself,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s not always the same owners. And when I say owners, the team presidents now, they’re not the same as when we won the championship. It’s someone else.”

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Giannis knows his window to win another title is closing

All of Giannis’ statements indicate that he is fully aware of Milwaukee’s dead-end situation when it comes to building a championship team around him. While he doesn’t want to publicly declare that he wants to leave the franchise, he has given everything he has since they drafted him, and he also hinted that he may soon look for happiness elsewhere if there are no championship ambitions.

The fact that he will soon turn 31 certainly doesn’t help, because Giannis knows his window to win another title is closing. Waiting until 2031, when the Bucks finally regain flexibility to control their future, could be far beyond his prime. Therefore, a potential separation in the near future is an increasingly realistic option.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.