When ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was asked to describe Giannis Antetokounmpo’s career in one word if he never wins another ring, he didn’t hold back. “Underachiever. Underachiever. I’m going to tell you why.” And just like that, the takes were flying faster than a Westbrook pull-up in crunch time.
Smith laid it all out, stat by stat, accolade by accolade. “It’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game… Over the last four years—minimum 200 games—Giannis is second in the league, 30.4 points per game. Fifth in rebounds with 11.7. He’s shooting 58% from the field. Nine All-Star selections. Nine All-NBA selections. Top ten MVP voting nine times… and he’s got more of those than postseason series wins. That’s unacceptable.”
Now here’s the key: Smith didn’t blame Giannis himself. He even said, “It’s not his fault… I’m not in any way pointing to him or what he’s not doing… But to say one championship? Nah. No. You definitely expect more than that.”
Let’s get this straight—Giannis wasn’t loafing this year. If anything, the man played like he was grinding for 2K VC. He dropped 30.4 points, grabbed 11.9 rebounds, and dished 6.5 assists per game on a mind-melting 60.1% shooting. That’s not just All-Star stuff—that’s Final Boss Mode.
Stephen A. Smith says he will consider Giannis Antetokounmpo an “underachiever” if he doesn’t win another ring
( @FirstTake / h/t @ClutchPoints )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 13, 2025
He even broke Kareem’s franchise record for most double-doubles in Bucks history (432) and dropped 59-14-7 in an OT win over the Pistons like he was scrimmaging with rookies. In February, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month and casually took home Player of the Week honors like they were loyalty stamps.
And don’t even get us started on the advanced stats—he ranked in the top 1% of scorers by volume and efficiency, had career-best true shooting, and carried Milwaukee’s offense like Jokic carries literally everything in Denver.
The Bucks had their dreams stepped on in size-18 sneakers—again. Giannis? Still elite. He averaged 33 points, 15.4 boards, and nearly 7 assists across five games. But losing to the Pacers in the first round while Damian Lillard limped off like a retired vet? That’s a hard pill even Tim Duncan would blink at.
Smith wasn’t alone in his frustration. Fans saw MVP-level Giannis putting up historic playoff numbers—and still heading home early. It’s like watching LeBron in 2018—superhuman effort, minimal reward.
Shams Breaks Down Giannis’ True Thoughts
Enter Shams Charania, who gave us the clearest look yet at Giannis’ mindset going forward. “Yeah, things stand where the Bucks are operating under the belief that Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain a Buck going into next season,” he said. But then came the juicy part: “I reported during the NBA Draft Lottery and Combine Week that Giannis was open to exploring his options outside of Milwaukee. There were serious conversations with his reps internally… He’s shown nothing but loyalty, but he’s also said he doesn’t want to be a guy who only wins one ring.”
The man’s not out the door—but the door’s unlocked.
The front office, led by GM Jon Horst and new coach Doc Rivers, is trying to retool rather than rebuild. Their pitch to Giannis? Less standing in the corner like he’s PJ Tucker and more putting the ball in his hands. “They’ve had discussions on playing him more on the ball… being the focus of the offense,” Shams added.
They’re trying to make Giannis the heliocentric star without exhausting him like Houston did with Harden. The Bucks are also eyeing backup guards and bigs who can help next season, not five years from now. Cap space is tight, and their draft picks are more spread out than the Kings’ playoff wins.
For now, trade rumors have cooled. Sources say multiple teams have accepted that Giannis will stay in Milwaukee for 2025–26. But the Bucks’ clock is ticking louder than Paul George’s playoff consistency. If Milwaukee swings and misses this summer, don’t be shocked if things shift fast. “If he believes this Bucks team is a championship team next season… that’s certainly his prerogative,” said Shams. “But make no mistake—he wants more than one ring. He’s said it. It keeps him up at night.”
And if the Bucks don’t act fast? Let’s just say Pat Riley probably already has a slideshow ready with Giannis in a Heat jersey, Udonis Haslem clapping in the background.
Giannis isn’t an underachiever—he’s an overachiever stuck in an underwhelming system. But if Milwaukee doesn’t rise with him, the Greek Freak might finally leave the Acropolis. And the next word we’ll hear won’t be “underachiever”—it’ll be “unavailable.”
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