OK, NOW we're approaching the ridiculous in the NBA

When I read this yesterday, that phrase popped back up into my mind.  Not in the same context and/or path, just the end result/phrase is the same.  This coupled with the whole Harden melodrama plus others has the snowball gathering speed and size.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/38253377/giannis-antetokounmpo-sign-extension-title-commitment-bucks

First of all, Giannis is all over the place in this article to the point it sounds contrived.  That may be the writer of the article.  I'll leave that up to those here on this site to parse.  

Second, why is this news?  Who cares?  Just like I don't need to know who you are sleeping with at night.  I simply don't care.  More importantly, why do you even think I should or would care?  What has happened up to this point in your life that you believe you can impose that on me and think I give a rat's ass about that?!!  You have clearly made an error in judgment.  Sorry, I digress.    

Giannis just put himself in the pity party category.  Lost a TON of respect for him.  Not the way a champion in the limelight should act or talk, at least publicly.  Let's talk about commitment to a championship.  Where were you and your level commitment in the first round of the 2023 playoffs?  It appears you just showed up because you got swept and outsmarted top to bottom by what turned out to be, as Denver proved, an extremely fortunate, guessed right at every turn, caught every break, house of cards basketball team.  Swept.  And your actions forced your coach, a great championship coach, to get canned as well.  You may step down.  No further questions, Your Honor.

As for Giannis, he may have won his only championship with an attitude like that.  At least as a Buck.  If he were alive, Bill Russell would annihilate Giannis on this kind of behavior.  This is clearly ME above TEAM and we can all predict with great accuracy how this will work itself out.  "I want another championship and it's not my fault we didn't get it done this past season, it's management's fault" mentality.  Give me a break.    

Every team wants to win the championship.  Some have absolutely no chance in Hell of winning one.  One of them is right here in my backyard in NC.  MIL chances are currently far better than others.  

Take a long look in the mirror, Giannis.  Your heading off the deep end and don't even know it.  Shut up and dribble for now.  We don't care to hear about your gripes.

Sad thing is, Giannis is a nice guy and the face of the league.  But he just shot himself in the foot.  And for a big guy, that's a real problem.  

db

The comments by Giannis were triggered by the fact that he is eligible to sign an extension next month.  That is newsworthy for the Bucks and it has also raised the antennas of the Knicks.

Giannis has put the Bucks on notice.  I can understand it.  They have 2 B2B disappointing years and they just fired their coach.  They have resigned a couple of their key free agents but tell when when was the last time they added a young talented player?  From what I can see the Bucks may be past their shelf life and it may be time to rebuild. Giannis mentioned that they could go in that direction.  Giannis states that he is committed to the Bucks as long as they are committed to winning a championship.

I have no problem with his comments.  They are brutally honest.  It is up to the Bucks to figure out how to surround him with younger talent instead of (Holiday 33, Android twins 35, Middleton 32)

Points well taken. Thank you, dboss!

db

dbrown4 wrote:Points well taken.  Thank you, dboss!

db

yeah
I think the Bucks timeline is not favorable. Giannis is only 28. but the surrounding core is in their 30's.

One of the often overlooked factors with Boston is how their core are all in the same age range except for AH.

I have zero problems with what Giannis said but I do have a problem with “Shut up and dribble” but lets not go into that here db because even though “dribble” is remotely related to basketball some folks who may think otherwise.

I really don’t quite understand why this article upset you so much.

I believe its newsworthy.
As Dboss pointed out, this is of interest to Bucks fans in particular but there are other teams that also may be licking their chops for Giannis’ services.

Giannis is not making any unreasonable demands or coming off as a Prima Donna. At least it doesn't appear that way to me.
He wants to win and there are several players that are in his pay grade that don't give a damn about winning so hats off to Giannis for giving a s**yt.

This so reminds of a job I left because the company refused to spend money on Focus group research and Music testing. Initiatives that would significantly improve our chances of winning and the company making more money.
They didn't see it that way so I found my way. Out the door and to a better situation.
Nothing wrong with that.

I have two problems with what Giannis said.

1.  He made them publicly.   My preference is to handle this the way Paul Pierce did in the summer of 2007.  He told Wyc and Danny "build a competitive team around me or trade me while I still have value", but we never heard a word about this until years later.  No locker room impact, no rival GMs smelling blood and looking to lowball us.  With Milwaukee now his teammates know he's not confident going to war with them and the offers coming in won't be rich for whatever players are made available.  The worst of both worlds.

2.  Timing.  Public or not Giannis should have told the front office this BEFORE the draft and certainly before free agency.   The Bucks front office might not have resigned Brook Lopez or cleared cap space or done something to accommodate Giannis as we saw other teams do back in late June.   It's almost September.   Camp's only 4-5 weeks away and most teams already have their cap space and roster spots committed.

Now they are operating from a position of weakness and they're late to the party.


Bob


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dbrown,

I removed the duplicate topic.

Pete

bobheckler wrote:I have two problems with what Giannis said.

1.  He made them publicly.   My preference is to handle this the way Paul Pierce did in the summer of 2007.  He told Wyc and Danny "build a competitive team around me or trade me while I still have value", but we never heard a word about this until years later.  No locker room impact, no rival GMs smelling blood and looking to lowball us.  With Milwaukee now his teammates know he's not confident going to war with them and the offers coming in won't be rich for whatever players are made available.  The worst of both worlds.

2.  Timing.  Public or not Giannis should have told the front office this BEFORE the draft and certainly before free agency.   The Bucks front office might not have resigned Brook Lopez or cleared cap space or done something to accommodate Giannis as we saw other teams do back in late June.   It's almost September.   Camp's only 4-5 weeks away and most teams already have their cap space and roster spots committed.

Now they are operating from a position of weakness and they're late to the party.


Bob

.

Bob

I really do not believe we should make a big deal about this. So what September is almost here.

Giannis is under contract for the 23-24 and 24-25 season and has a $51 million player option for 25-26. We are talking about an extension so there is time for the Bucks to put a plan in place while the extension sits on the back burner.

I really do not think his teammates give a damn about his comments. Holiday still has $135,000,000 in guaranteed money owed and Middleton has $93,000,000. The Bucks are spending big money on their team.

His comments are coming out now because September is the first time an extension can be signed. Was he supposed to tell Bucks management not to resign Middleton?
Giannis won a title for the Bucks. I do not see them as the top dog this year and he probably does not either.

Also the PP thing was widely reported about. I remember when there was a conversation about him being traded. It was not a hush hush situation. He was tired on losing.