Aris fans warmly welcomed Giannis Antetokounmpo to their home game with chants and banners, urging him to leave the NBA and join their team.
Milwaukee Bucks two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is visiting his home country of Greece after the NBA season. He was spotted courtside at the Greek League game between Aris Thessaloniki and Panionios on Saturday.
MIN:
28.87
PTS:
27.58 (63.35%)
REB:
9.78
AS:
5.44
ST:
0.94
BL:
0.67
TO:
3.19
GM:
36
Aris fans prepared a special welcome for Giannis. They created a chant and a banner to warmly greet the Bucks superstar and his family, while also asking him to join the team.
“Hey Giannis, hey Giannis, let’s finish with the NBA, that’s enough. Come here, so we can win a championship and take it to Mars,” the chant roughly translated into English.
Giannis attended the game alongside close friend and Aris owner Richard Xiaoo, Thanasis, members of the Antetokounmpo family, and Greek basketball legend Nikos Galis.
Giannis’ brother, Kostas Antetokounmpo, a former NBA center, is currently playing for Aris.
“I didn’t expect this reception,” Giannis told ERT before tip-off.
Giannis, meanwhile, arrived in Greece following a turbulent season with the Bucks, which included speculation about his future before the February trade deadline and reported disagreements with team management over his late-season injury.
Several NBA teams have already been linked with potential interest in Antetokounmpo this offseason, should Milwaukee consider a trade.
The former NBA champion is currently under contract through the 2026-27 season, with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.
If you like our content, please click here and add us as your preferred source. It helps us a lot, and we are committed to delivering you the very latest basketball news.