Giannis Antetokounmpo Could Leave NBA For Greece In 6 Years

Giannis Antetokounmpo may be closer to the end of his NBA career than people expected. Speaking on a late night television show in Greece, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar revealed he could leave the NBA for Greece in just six years.

Antetokounmpo will turn 31 in December.

“I’m 30 years old, I can play in the NBA until I’m 36-38. I’d like to end my career in a Greek team, why not?” Antetokounmpo said on ANT1’s The 2night Show. “I don’t want to live in the United States. As soon as I leave the NBA, I want to return to Greece.

“I could end my career here [in Greece], whether this team is called Filathlitikos, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, or Aris, I’m talking about all the teams now.”

There has been unprecedented speculation on the immediate future of Antetokounmpo of late. His tenure with the Bucks appears much closer to the end based on recent comments and his repeated desire to compete for a championship.

Milwaukee has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.

What Does Early Antetokounmpo Exit Mean For Legacy?

Antetokoumpo has already accomplished so much in the NBA at this point. He’s made nine All-Star and All-NBA teams. He’s a five-time All-Defensive Team member and won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-20. He is a two-time MVP, won the 2021 All-Star Game MVP, and the 2025 In-Season Tournament MVP.

Most importantly for him, he won an NBA title and Finals MVP in 2021.

Another title would catapult him further up the all-time charts but what about individual records?

Antetokounmpo currently ranks 48th on the all-time scoring list. He has averaged over 2,000 points the past four seasons. If he could do that for another five seasons, he could creep into the top 10.

He also ranks 69th on the all-time rebounds list. If he can continue his current pace and accumulate around 4,000 rebounds over the next five seasons, he’d be flirting with the top 20.

Entering his 13th season, we should also be mindful that Antetokounmpo depends a lot on his athleticism. He has suffered injuries the last few years and so it will be a fair question to ask if he can actually maintain this same pace over the next five years.

At the moment, he is an MVP candidate who can be the best player on the floor every single night.

Greek fans would rejoice at the opportunity to see him first-hand on a nightly basis at whatever stage of his career he’s in.