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Giannis Antetokounmpo Reveals Why He Re-Signed With Milwaukee Before His 2021 Free Agency 

Following the conclusion of their disappointing 2020 NBA season, the Bucks responded strongly by adding a high-caliber two-way player in Jrue Holiday, and also signed 2-time defending MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 5-year, $228.2M max contract.

Antetokounmpo would have become a free-agent in the coming off-season, and had many of his All-Star colleagues on a mission to recruit him to their team.

While talking to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth, Giannis now revealed the reason of him re-signing with the Bucks now, before he would have hit free agency later this year.

“I didn’t want the pressure. Not me, personally; I can deal with pressure, I didn’t want the pressure on my teammates and my coaching staff. Going out there and losing a game, and people are talking about ‘Oh, he’s leaving, oh he’s staying. Oh, they didn’t play well. Oh, he’s out of there.’ That’s adding more pressure to what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

The goal is to win a championship. So going through a year of pressure is almost throwing out the year while I’m entering my prime. I’m not throwing out a year.””