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As part of Giannis Antetokounmpo's farewell to the city of Milwaukee, he posted a 36-minute interview on his YouTube channel with former Milwaukee Bucks announcer Jim Paschke, a longform reflection on his 13-year career in Milwaukee.
"I'm scared of change," Antetokounmpo admitted. "I'm scared that the grass is not always greener. I'm scared of … I have things [here], people love me here, people respect me here. People allow me to be myself in the city. I'm scared I'll never have that again."
But he also said he felt it was time to take the risk in pursuit of another title.
Recorded at the facility formerly known as the Cousins Center (now Mary Mother of the Church Pastoral Center), the St. Francis gym that formerly served as the Milwaukee Bucks' practice facility, they discussed the push-and-pull Antetokounmpo felt knowing it might take a risk to work deeper into the playoffs vs. remaining in a place he's called home for 13 years.
Some takeaways from the conversation:
Paschke, who insisted to Antetokounmpo that he'll always be beloved in Milwaukee, noted that it's the first time they've chatted at length since 2021. The two had an emotional interview over Zoom five years earlier when Paschke announced he was retiring.
Paschke asked Giannis what his late father, Charles, might say about the situation.
"Go to an uncomfortable situation that allows you to grow and chase your dream, no matter what," Giannis said, adding that he understood there was a selfishness associated with the sacrifice of time from his family and school activities to "go and chase one golden trophy" because he's committed to that as a goal.
Antetokounmpo talked about early memories at the Cousins Center, including a time when he was told to pair off for a drill with OJ Mayo and he didn't know which player that was, prompting a teasing response from other Bucks.
The two also recalled a time a priest gave Giannis a rosary to bring to his mother, Veronica, when he found out his mother was a devout Catholic. The center served as the headquarters for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee at the time.
Antetokounmpo told a story of welcoming his family to Milwaukee and arranging to have a limousine picking them up, so he could give them the same experience he got when he first arrived. They wound up taking the limousine to Wal-Mart to pick up groceries for their apartment.
The Bucks struck gold when they selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in 2013, but the Bucks probably thought their cornerstone would come from the 2014 draft after Milwaukee landed the No. 2 pick. The selection, Jabari Parker, famously didn't work out after he suffered serious injuries, but Antetokounmpo said Parker's sheer talent motivated Giannis to be better.
"I was able to measure myself against him," Antetokounmpo said. "Every single day, I said 'OK, if he works one hour, I'll work 1½. If he works two hours, I will work 2½. Every single day. I've never told him this but he motivated me to be so much better because he was so damn good."
Paschke brought up a famous interview in which Giannis responded during a press conference whether he viewed the season as a failure if it didn't end in a championship.
Antetokounmpo noted that one of his favorite players was Allen Iverson, a player whose greatness transcended the fact that he never won a championship.
"If God tells me that one championship is what my journey is supposed to be, I am extremely blessed and I will never question the things he has in store for me," Giannis said. "I want a second one and I believe I am capable of doing it. I think I've been blessed with incredible talent and incredible willpower to put the work in and chase that. If it doesn't happen, I won't look back and say, yeah, I failed. Everything's part of a journey and everything leads to something, so I would never look back and say I failed, no way."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis talks about fears, goals, memories in video with Jim Paschke
Continue reading...
"I'm scared of change," Antetokounmpo admitted. "I'm scared that the grass is not always greener. I'm scared of … I have things [here], people love me here, people respect me here. People allow me to be myself in the city. I'm scared I'll never have that again."
But he also said he felt it was time to take the risk in pursuit of another title.
Recorded at the facility formerly known as the Cousins Center (now Mary Mother of the Church Pastoral Center), the St. Francis gym that formerly served as the Milwaukee Bucks' practice facility, they discussed the push-and-pull Antetokounmpo felt knowing it might take a risk to work deeper into the playoffs vs. remaining in a place he's called home for 13 years.
Some takeaways from the conversation:
It's a renewal of the special relationship between Paschke and Antetokounmpo
Paschke, who insisted to Antetokounmpo that he'll always be beloved in Milwaukee, noted that it's the first time they've chatted at length since 2021. The two had an emotional interview over Zoom five years earlier when Paschke announced he was retiring.
Paschke asked Giannis what his late father, Charles, might say about the situation.
"Go to an uncomfortable situation that allows you to grow and chase your dream, no matter what," Giannis said, adding that he understood there was a selfishness associated with the sacrifice of time from his family and school activities to "go and chase one golden trophy" because he's committed to that as a goal.
Cousins Center memories: Antetokounmpo didn't know who OJ Mayo was
Antetokounmpo talked about early memories at the Cousins Center, including a time when he was told to pair off for a drill with OJ Mayo and he didn't know which player that was, prompting a teasing response from other Bucks.
The two also recalled a time a priest gave Giannis a rosary to bring to his mother, Veronica, when he found out his mother was a devout Catholic. The center served as the headquarters for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee at the time.
A limousine to Wal-Mart?
Antetokounmpo told a story of welcoming his family to Milwaukee and arranging to have a limousine picking them up, so he could give them the same experience he got when he first arrived. They wound up taking the limousine to Wal-Mart to pick up groceries for their apartment.
Jabari Parker motivated Giannis to be better
The Bucks struck gold when they selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in 2013, but the Bucks probably thought their cornerstone would come from the 2014 draft after Milwaukee landed the No. 2 pick. The selection, Jabari Parker, famously didn't work out after he suffered serious injuries, but Antetokounmpo said Parker's sheer talent motivated Giannis to be better.
"I was able to measure myself against him," Antetokounmpo said. "Every single day, I said 'OK, if he works one hour, I'll work 1½. If he works two hours, I will work 2½. Every single day. I've never told him this but he motivated me to be so much better because he was so damn good."
Would he consider it a failure if he doesn't win again?
Paschke brought up a famous interview in which Giannis responded during a press conference whether he viewed the season as a failure if it didn't end in a championship.
Antetokounmpo noted that one of his favorite players was Allen Iverson, a player whose greatness transcended the fact that he never won a championship.
"If God tells me that one championship is what my journey is supposed to be, I am extremely blessed and I will never question the things he has in store for me," Giannis said. "I want a second one and I believe I am capable of doing it. I think I've been blessed with incredible talent and incredible willpower to put the work in and chase that. If it doesn't happen, I won't look back and say, yeah, I failed. Everything's part of a journey and everything leads to something, so I would never look back and say I failed, no way."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis talks about fears, goals, memories in video with Jim Paschke
Continue reading...
