Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals 2024-25 Season Could Determine His Future With Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are about to embark on a new NBA season and will be looking to get some redemption in the process. Milwaukee was eliminated from the postseason last year in the first round, in part due to key injuries that they suffered to stars.
Entering this season, there is pressure on the Bucks to get back to being one of the elite teams in the NBA . They still have stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard running the show, giving them credibility each time on the floor.
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But if the team were to underperform once again, it could cause some big changes to occur to the franchise. Antetokounmpo opened up about the reality that he and the team are facing this season, even going as far as to say that he himself could be traded.
"If we don't win this year, would you get fired?" Antetokounmpo asks with a wry smile to his co-worker. "Do you have it in the back of your mind, like, '(What) if this year doesn't go well?' Yeah, if we don't win a championship, I might get traded. Yeah, this is the job we live in. This is the world we're living in. It's everybody...
"On a serious note, this is the job. It's the profession that we're in. At any given moment, if you don't succeed, that might be it for us. It was the same way with the previous coaching staff, and the year before, the players before. ... If you don't do a good enough job, you're out."
NBA teams no longer are willing to wait around for years while a team gets close to a title. It's all about the winning-now window and the Bucks opportunity with this core is closing fast.
Milwaukee has the tools to win this season but will need to execute out on the floor. Health will also be a key factor in it all, especially since both Antetokounmpo and Lillard getting hurt in the playoffs last year.
They have had a full offseason and training camp together, which should help team chemistry. The Bucks will also have head coach Doc Rivers starting from the beginning of the year instead of taking over partway through the season.
Milwaukee will have a tough challenge ahead of them being in the Eastern Conference due to the tough teams. The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers will all give them a run for their money.
But the Bucks believe in themselves and they should have a say in how the season shakes out.
For more NBA news and updates, make sure to head over to Newsweek Sports .
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This story was originally published October 17, 2024, 2:43 PM.
