Giannis Antetokounmpo is the star of the Milwaukee Bucks. The second half of last season was an eye-opening experience for all Bucks fans. He looked like Magic Johnson on steroids and sent out a warning shot to the rest of the league. He’s completely unguardable because no point guards can take him and the players who are his size can’t guard him. Bucks are betting no one figures out and make a major investment in their future. Antetokounmpo gets a four-year deal worth 100 million dollars.

This is the first time I can remember where Bucks made a major investment in a young player. Guess what? He isn’t the last one to sign a deal for Milwaukee in the coming years. Jabari Parker is up next season, and Giannis made sure he’s going to have enough money on the table. Brian Windhorst reported Antetokounmpo took less money in order to keep the young core together and sign other free agents. This is a move a leader makes who wants to see his squad become better. This is what a floor general does for his team.

The hype is real for Giannis. People are going to be jumping off the walls for him locally and nationally. The local hype for the Bucks will be the biggest its been in awhile. Weirdly enough, Brewers and Bucks have similar teams with a promising rebuilding parts, and while the professional basketball program is farther along, the level of excitement is such a beautiful thing to see in Milwaukee. The national hype will be there too from the writers who will predict him as an All-Star to the daily fantasy players falling over themselves with the grand potential he has all season.

What’s so weird is I expect Giannis to do it. So many times we see these young players fail to live up to expectations, and the narratives change yet that’s not going to happen with Antetokounmpo. He works too damn hard not to be one of the best players on this fucking planet. Giannis is going to take the reigns of the league and make it his in one or two years. If it doesn’t happen this year, it’s happening the following year. There’s nothing greater than to have confidence in a player you root for on a regular basis. Every time Antetokounmpo puts on his number 34 jersey this winter, there will be a chance of a triple-double. Who knows maybe a quadruple-double? The noted basketball quote machine Kevin Garnett once said ‘Anything is possible.’ And that’s the best way to describe watching a Giannis game.

I still remember when Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo. I finished working at Summerfest that night and met up to have some beers with a couple friends. My buddy Eric goes ‘Bucks drafted Giannnis Antetokounmpo.’ I’m sure he mispronounced his name wrong. We all did for months. We talked about on podcasts how Giannis might be in the D-League for his rookie year to develop but that never happened on the pitiful Bucks team coached by Larry Drew. After that, Jabari Parker would be drafted and Jason Kidd took the reigns at head coach. The rest is history.

Bucks season is off to a beautiful start. Can’t wait until it’s here for good in late October.

Charlie.