Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t spent the 28 years he’s already spoken about his aspirations as a… future retiree. And far be it the desire for rhinestones and sequins, far be it the desire to fame and the photos every three minutes in the street with passers-by who will recognize him instantly. Indeed, the 2021 NBA champion wants to be able to blend in and eat his extra whipped cream ice cream while yelling in the street without people seeing a basketball superstar.
« I wanna be like Mike Tim! “… At first listen it can sound a little weird. Still, some of the most talented NBAers want to fly under the radar and enjoy a peaceful life in retirement, reclaiming the anonymity lost from exposing themselves to the cameras and the inevitable stardom of being an Orange Ball megastar. . The Greek Freak is one of those players for whom being a superstar is cool, but it’s okay two minutes. Passed to the microphone of Brian Scalabrine and Frank Isola, Janice confessed to wanting to be “like everyone else” as soon as he sets foot outside the floors of the League.
“I want to be like Tim Duncan. Where the hell is Tim Duncan?!” ????????
Giannis gives his retirement plans to @thefrankisola and @scalabrine pic.twitter.com/CMFnuc8Rm8
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 1, 2022
“When I retire, I want to disappear. I want to go somewhere where no one knows me. I went to Sweden two years ago, nobody knew me. […] No one bothered me. […] You see Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, these great players who are retiring but whom everyone knows and still follows… I don’t know if I could do that. I want to be like Tim Duncan. Where did Tim Duncan go? I want to play basketball and then… be forgotten! »
As usual, the native of Athens can not help but amuse the gallery but he puts his finger on something very true by quoting the legend of the Spurs: we are not talking about Tim Duncan. We don’t know where Tim Duncan is. Even if he is seen at a few events, the most sober of all basketball players remains in his world, far from the flashes of the cameras which can sometimes blind his subjects. And yet, his career as a professional basketball player is one of the most glorious and complete in history. Like what the two are compatible, it is “just” to choose the right way of life.
This statement by Giannis is not so surprising. Despite his ease in front of the cameras and journalists, which made him the famous guy that “nobody can hate in the NBA”, the specialist in dad jokes has never really been a follower of the life of a star. We can imagine her as a perfect dilettante, her gigantic arms stretched out in the fine sand of a beach in the depths of a lost island, to be golden on the pill and enjoy every second of her retirement. After having knocked everything out in the NBA of course. The two-time MVP may be one of the funniest guys in the League, but he seems to miss his old life and the constant pressure from the media and fans seems to be suffocating for him, even if he is perched at 2m11 .
A discreet career end after having been a superstar in front of the cameras, is it possible? Tim Duncan is doing very well for the moment and Giannis obviously wants to follow in his footsteps to become a nobody after retiring. A return to basics so as not to forget where we come from, or a simple desire to cut ties with the world of sport and the paparazzi? All we know is that Giannis still has a few years in the NBA ahead of him before disappearing into thin air and living like a stranger.