The Milwaukee Bucks were one of many teams to stand pat at this year’s NBA trade deadline. Despite much speculation about a breakup between Giannis and the Bucks, both sides will continue their partnership through at least the rest of this season.
On social media, Giannis didn’t have the disappointed reaction many were expecting. Instead, he seemingly celebrated his continued stay in Milwaukee with a post featuring an iconic scene from the movie ‘The Wolf of Wall Street.’ The caption reads: “Legends don’t chase. They attract.”
“I’m not f*cking leaving! The show goes on! This is my home! They’re gonna need a f*cking wrecking ball to take me out of here!”
“I’m not f*cking leaving! The show goes on! This is my home! They’re gonna need a f*cking wrecking ball to take me out of here!”
Giannis Antetokounmpo posts this iconic ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ clip after not being traded from the Bucks at the trade deadline 🤣
(via @Giannis_An34) pic.twitter.com/N4I07kN4k8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 5, 2026
The clip is meant to symbolize Giannis’ internal reaction to the trade deadline. Right when he, and the world, thought his time with the Bucks was over, it turns out that he’s actually staying put (for now). Just like Jordan Belfort revealed he was staying at Stratton Oakmont just moments before preparing his farewell speech, Giannnis is proudly telling everyone that he’s not going anywhere.
Giannis has always embraced his identity as a leader of the pack. For years, he took pride in his success with the team that drafted him and refused to take the easy way out or “chase” other stars to different teams. Unlike some of his peers (LeBron James, Kevin Durant), Giannis never ran from the grind, and he stuck it out when the going got tough.
Of course, that all changed this season. With the Bucks playing some of their worst basketball in ages, Giannis’ patience was stretched thin, and his loyalty was pushed to the limit. While he denied asking for a trade outright, the Bucks were pushed to engage in trade conversations long before this week’s deadline, and the talks will surface again this summer.
Ultimately, the Bucks never found a deal worth accepting for Giannis, and he remains in Milwaukee for at least the next few months. While his future remains very much uncertain, Antetokounmpo finally has clarity on where he’ll finish this season, and it’s exactly where he wanted to be.
What that means for the Bucks’ campaign remains to be seen, but they are not out of the mix just yet. At 12th in the East (20-29), the Bucks are three games back from the final play-in spot with a number of important games to play. How they finish this season may decide more than their final record: it could decide how they finish this entire chapter of the franchise’s existence.
