Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Greek national team began their EuroBasket campaign on Thursday against Italy, and the Milwaukee Bucks made sure to have a prominent contingent on hand in Cyprus to support their star.
Bucks GM Jon Horst, coach Doc Rivers and assistant Darvin Ham were all in attendance for Greece’s opener, as the Bucks have spent this summer trying to keep Giannis happy with his place in Milwaukee.
After another early exit from the postseason and with Damian Lillard facing a lost 2025-26 season with a torn Achilles, there was once again speculation that Antetokounmpo could push to leave Milwaukee this summer if he didn’t see a future as a legit contender in the East.
The Bucks, as they’ve been in the past when similar scenarios have popped up, were aggressive in trying to make moves to appease Giannis. They waived and stretched Lillard in a shocking move that opened up the necessary space to sign big man Myles Turner in free agency. It was another big swing taken by Horst and the Bucks front office, which has previously gone all-in with trades for Lillard and Jrue Holiday before that.
Holiday’s acquisition led to a title, but the Lillard experiment didn’t pan out and it’s fair to wonder if the move to waive and stretch Lillard’s massive salary put a cap on their long-term ceiling in favor of raising the Bucks’ immediate floor. Giannis has given indications that he plans to be back and is happy in Milwaukee, but hasn’t offered the kind of firm response that would quiet all speculation.
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As such, the Bucks are putting their full support behind their star at EuroBasket and making sure that support is visible to Giannis, as they look to secure another commitment from him in the near-future in the form of a contract extension next offseason.
Milwaukee isn’t the only team with a strong presence at EuroBasket to support a star, as the Lakers sent a full traveling party to follow Luka Dončić and Slovenia, as they continue to affirm Dončić as their franchise focal point after seeing him sign an extension earlier this summer.
