Kevin Durant relates to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s NBA trajectory like few others can.
The Golden State Warriors superstar offered some career advice to his Milwaukee Bucks counterpart in an article ESPN’s Nick Friedell published Sunday. Antetokounmpo, who’s under contract with the Bucks through the 2020-21 season, insists he wants to spend his career in Milwaukee, but a player’s career outlook can (and often does) change, especially a larger-than-life figure in a small market like Durant was with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Milwaukee admits it must keep its star player happy, Durant believes no team can match the joy Antetokounmpo can bring himself via his career decisions.
“What I would say to him, I would tell him to play for himself,” Durant told Friedell. “Because he’s the one out there putting in the work, he’s the one out there getting up in the morning staying committed to the game.
“Obviously (the comments about staying put) sounds good to the fans in Milwaukee and to the ownership, because he cares so much about wanting to please them and play well for them, and I get it. But his career is about him; it’s about whatever he wants to do and however he feels is right for him. And what type of basketball does he want to play? He’s not going to stay in Milwaukee if he’s not having fun playing the game.”
Antetokounmpo currently is the toast of Milwaukee, as was Durant was when he played for the Thunder. Durant warns Antetokounmpo of the dangers of assuming too much responsibility for taking his franchise, city and region to a higher level.
“… I wish people would have told me I didn’t have to carry that burden mentally,” Durant said. “… It was all like I felt like I had to do that, but I had great teammates, I had great coaches, I had good ownership that was taking care of all this. I didn’t have to make sure they were building businesses in downtown Oklahoma City, or make sure fans came to the games or buy the merchandise — that wasn’t my job, that wasn’t my burden. But I was taking it all up here mentally, and it was taking away from what’s really important, which is that basketball court.”
Milwaukee fans may not enjoy Durant’s advice for Antetokounmpo. But the NBA experiences the two superstars share are so rare, that the 23-year-old “Greek Freak” will do well to consider KD’s wisdom.
