A large mural of Giannis Antetokounmpo may still stand in downtown Milwaukee, but the man himself has now officially said goodbye — sharing an emotional farewell video on social media after being traded to the Miami Heat.
The professionally produced video features career highlights and memorable moments while Antetokounmpo himself provides the narration throughout.
The trade sent Antetokounmpo to Miami in exchange for four players, three first-round draft picks, and additional compensation.
In the video, Antetokounmpo spoke directly to the people of Milwaukee and Wisconsin. “The city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin, I want them to remember this from me,” he said. “Don’t worry about the basket. Don’t worry about the championship. Don’t worry about the wins. Don’t worry about the losses.”
He went on to describe his deep connection to the city’s working-class spirit. “I tried to be like them. I believe the city of Milwaukee is blue-collar. It’s people that work extremely hard every single day. They give all their hard-earned money, just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks. To come and feel something. To come to be a part of us.”
“I hope that I was able to represent them, the best that I could. And I was like them. I showed up to work, did everything. I was willing to do all the dirty work, just like them.”
During his 13 years with Milwaukee, the player known as “The Greek Freak” earned two MVP awards, a most-improved-player award, and a defensive-player-of-the-year honor. Most notably, he led the Bucks to the NBA championship in 2021 — the franchise’s first title since 1971.
Across 895 regular-season games with 830 starts, the 31-year-old averaged 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He was selected 15th overall in the 2013 draft. In 84 playoff appearances, he averaged 33.0 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. He was named to the All-Star team ten times throughout his career.
His farewell message continued: “I hope that bringing a trophy to the city meant something to them, because it meant so much to me.”
“I want you to hear it from my mouth. The city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart. This is my home. And this is a place that I had my kids. My mom is here. My father is here. My brothers played here. It made me the man that I am today. That will never, ever change.”
He closed with a powerful declaration: “No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family.”
The video wraps up with a clip of a young Antetokounmpo expressing his dream of playing in the NBA, followed by NBA commissioner David Stern calling his name at the 2013 draft.
As the video spread across social media, Bucks general manager Jon Horst released a letter to fans addressing the trade. “This decision is in the best interest of both the Bucks and Giannis,” Horst wrote. “I understand the emotions this news brings, and I share them. I’m confident our path forward provides a strong foundation for sustained success. As we begin the next chapter of Bucks basketball, we do so with optimism, purpose and a clear vision to build on our standard of excellence while strengthening our competitive identity and winning culture under the leadership of our new head coach, Taylor Jenkins.”
A longer version of the interview from which Antetokounmpo’s narration was drawn is available on his YouTube channel.
