Giannis Antetokounmpo: I've Never Had a Season Like This in My Career

The current NBA regular season has been unlike any other in the career of Greek international Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the Milwaukee Bucks star remains an elite force on the court, the pressure he's faced over the past few months has led to a campaign marked by personal sacrifices and professional uncertainty, rather than championship aspirations.

As a frustrating season concludes with Antetokounmpo sidelined due to a team-mandated break, the two-time league MVP has spoken candidly about how this year has impacted his mental state and family life.

“I’ve never had a season like this in my career. It’s been tough for many reasons,” he admitted to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The primary source of this difficulty was the decision to start the season separated from his wife, Mariah, and their four young children. For the first time in his professional life, the 31-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo began the year in Milwaukee while his family remained thousands of miles away in Greece.

“This was the first time in my career that I was away from my family. I was here, and my family wasn’t. My body was in the game, but my mind wasn’t. And I think that affected me in some way, because that’s what happens when your mind isn’t fully committed to what you love to do,” the basketball player added.

The decision to keep his family in Greece during October and November was a deliberate move to shield them from speculation regarding his future with the Milwaukee team.

“I didn’t know how things would unfold. One thing I’ve always said is that as a father, I would never put my children in a position where my profession would harm them and their way of life,” explained Antetokounmpo, who eventually reunited with his family around Thanksgiving in the U.S.