Winning certainly isn’t everything but, regarding the NBA specifically, it’s often the most important thing.
The greatest achievement one could have as a player is being crowned a Champion, and it’s something everyone strives for when they make the transition into the league.
For Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, winning seems to be their biggest aim right now as they look to put themselves over the hump and bring a title to the city for the first time in 50 years.
To make matters even more intense, Giannis is entering the final year of his current deal, meaning he could leave his team as a free agent during the 2021 offseason. If Giannis and the Bucks fail to capitalize on this opportunity, many believe it will have a major impact on whether or not Antetokounmpo agrees to stay.
Interestingly, however, Giannis actually denied that was the case. According to him, he’s not approaching this season with a “Championship or bust” mentality.
“I don’t believe it is a championship or bust situation and nobody wants to win a championship more than me,” Antetokounmpo said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “But you have to keep getting better step-by-step.”
Paul George said similar words after his team was defeated in a major upset in the 2020 playoffs. Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer also said it to reporters six days ago.
“To think that a season is championship or bust is certainly not how we’ve approached it,” Budenholzer said.
The statements seem to be an attempt by the Bucks, and their star, to temper expectations for the upcoming season. Unfortunately for them, that attempt is unlikely to succeed.
With Giannis coming off his second-straight MVP season, and a summer in which they acquired Jrue Holiday, it certainly seems like now is the time to win for the Bucks. With the future so uncertain, why shouldn’t this season be considered a “Championship or bust” for Milwaukee?
