Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gets ready to play the Indiana Pacers during a first-round playoff game in Milwaukee on April 27, 2025.

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Stuck in Greece because he contracted COVID-19, Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke to reporters virtually and maintained that he wants to compete for NBA championships but did not give any assurances that he’s committed to the Milwaukee Bucks beyond the present.

“I want to be on a team that allows me and gives me a chance to win a championship,” he said Monday. “It is never going to change. I want to be among the best.”

Earlier Monday, Bucks owner Wes Edens said he and Antetokounmpo met in June, and that Antetokounmpo reaffirmed his commitment to Milwaukee. When it was his turn to speak, Antetokounmpo said he could not recall that conversation.

“It's a disservice to basketball and just to the game, to not want it to compete in a high level, to want your season to end in April,” Antetokounmpo added. “It's pretty much the same. It's not the first time. I had the same thoughts last year. I had the same thoughts two years ago.”

Bucks owner says Giannis ‘very committed’ to team

There had been some noise about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks being in doubt.

Antetokounmpo, 30, led Milwaukee to a title in 2021 but has maintained that he wants to keep competing for more championships. With the Bucks undergoing some roster turnover — including the offseason waiving and stretching of former point guard Damian Lillard — rumors swirled that Antetokounmpo could potentially ask out of Milwaukee.

Team owner Wes Edens dispelled that notion.

“I had a great conversation with Giannis back in June out here, where he was very committed to Milwaukee,” Edens told reporters Monday. “He likes being here. He likes his family being here.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How committed is Giannis Antetokounmpo to Bucks? NBA star, owner offer different takes

Reporting by Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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