“Run & dunk man running from the grind” – Giannis Antetokounmpo rumored to join Lakers leaves NBA fans in shambles

In the last year, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been a name brought up when discussing NBA stars leaving their current team. Recent reports have named the Lakers and Knicks as possible landing spots if the two-time MVP did leave the Milwaukee Bucks.

At the moment, it is a bit premature to talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving Milwaukee. He is under contract for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and has a $51 million player option for 2026. Besides him requesting a trade, the Bucks are not going to move on from their franchise cornerstone.

When this report made its way to social media, NBA fans were quick to start chiming in. Some accused Giannis of running from the grind if he were to depart for a team like the Lakers.

Lakers fans were excited to see their team connected to a player like Giannis. Some have already begun comparing him to Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Other NBA fans were completely against this and complained that Giannis is being linked to the two biggest markets in the league.

Giannis Antetokounmpo talks about future in Milwaukee

Throughout his career, Giannis Antetokounmpo has proven to be a loyal player. It's been a long journey for him going from a raw prospect to leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their first title in franchise history.

Next summer, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the opportunity to put all talk like this to bed. If he signs another extension, he'll be once again fully committed to Milwaukee.

During a recent interview with New York Times, Giannis opened up on signing another deal with the Bucks. He stated he won't ink a new contract with the organization unless he feels everyone is on the same page. Mainly, he wants competing for championships to be the top priority.

“I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”

Since winning a championship in 2021, it's been a rocky road for Giannis and the Bucks in the playoffs. That following year, they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the second round. Their biggest blunder came this season, when the No.8 seed Miami Heat upset them in the first round in just five games.

Giannis doesn't seem fully prepared to leave yet, but these comments indicate he could start weighing all his options in the very near future.