Future Hall of Famer Giannis Antetokounmpo now has to decide if he wants to end his career with the Miami Heat or return to play for the Milwaukee Bucks
The Miami Heat have acquired many superstars over the years.
With the exception of Ray Allen, few have ended their careers with the Heat. They include LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Goran Dragic and Jimmy Butler.
Which brings the question: Will Giannis Antetokounmpo play his remaining years in Miami? He gave a glimpse of that during his introductory press conference last month.
“It would be important," Antetokounmpo said. "It gives a little bit of stability to my family and kids…nothing is guaranteed in life — you have to earn it…the main goal is to work hard…I gotta work hard, I take nothing for granted for my whole career and I won’t start now. It’s a great compliment by [Pat Riley] but I gotta do my part.”
But Antetokounmpo has also said he wants to return to Milwaukee Bucks at some point before he hangs up his sneakers. He has every right to do so. In 13 seasons, he won two MVPs and a championship for the Bucks. It was the franchise's first title since the days of Lew Alcindor and Oscar Robertson, so the community obviously will forever embrace him.
This decision probably weighs on how much success Antetokounmpo has with the Heat. If he doesn't get another ring, he might as well return to finish his career in Milwaukee. But what happens if he wins one or even titles in Miami? Does that change anything?
It could.
THOMPSON CHOOSES NUMBER IN MIAMI
Thompson wore No. 31 with the Mavericks over the last couple of seasons. He wore it to honor Hall of Famer and three-point specialist Reggie Miller. Thompson wore No. 11 upon entering the league in the 2011-12 season. Ironically enough, he was the No. 11 pick, selected by the Golden State Warriors in the 2011 draft class.
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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of HeatRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected]
