{"id":727463,"date":"2026-06-26T15:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/727463\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T15:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:51:08","slug":"giannis-antetokounmpo-was-the-rail-thin-kid-who-became-a-star-do-bucks-have-another-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/727463\/","title":{"rendered":"Giannis Antetokounmpo was the rail thin kid who became a star. Do Bucks have another? | Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Cap Times is an independent newsroom serving Madison and Wisconsin. Sign up for the Morning Update<\/a> to receive news in your inbox each morning.<\/p>\n

ESPN analyst Jay Williams had a flashback Tuesday night when 6-foot 10-inch Nate Ament was standing alongside Adam Silver and towering over the NBA commissioner.<\/p>\n

Ament, a one-and-done freshman at the University of Tennessee, had just been selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 13 pick in the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

That choice belonged to the Miami Heat. But it was part of a trade package that was sent to Milwaukee in the mega deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis.<\/p>\n

Some have questioned Ament\u2019s lack of bulk and strength. His body hasn\u2019t matured yet. He\u2019s young. He\u2019s 19. He\u2019s rail-thin. He\u2019s built like a 3-iron. All the size clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

On stage, Ament dwarfed Silver.<\/p>\n

Truth is, Silver is not undersized either. He\u2019s 6-3 and much taller than his predecessor, the late David Stern, who was generously listed at 5-9.<\/p>\n

Now cue Williams, the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, and his flashback to a first-round moment 13 years ago when the Bucks took Antetokounmpo with the 15th pick.<\/p>\n

The stage was the same: the Barclays Center in Brookyln, New York, the site of the draft since 2013 with the exception of 2020 when it was held virtually because of COVID.<\/p>\n

There is a classic photo from \u201813 of the 6-9 Antetokounmpo standing alongside Stern, who was presiding over his final draft as the NBA commissioner.<\/p>\n

Antetokounmpo was 18 and listed at 196 pounds. He looked lighter. Skinny. Rail-thin. Built like a 3-iron. He dwarfed Stern. Hence the flashback for Williams, and others.<\/p>\n

\"Giannis<\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo playing during a game against the Washington Wizards in 2014, the year after he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. (Photo license)<\/a><\/p>\n

PHOTO BY KEITH ALLISON<\/p>\n

Not that Williams, or anybody else, was even remotely suggesting that Ament would ever rise to the superstar level of the Greek Freak. It was just the timing of it all, the visual.<\/p>\n

In case you forgot\u2026<\/p>\n

Not everybody was sold on Milwaukee general manager John Hammond\u2019s gamble with Antetokounmpo, who was averaging less than 10 points in a second-tier Greek league.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were safer picks on the board for us,\u201d Hammond admitted to a mostly skeptical media on his choice. \u201cBut nothing with this kind of upside, nothing close to this.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the real key component of what we have here. How are we going to get (a foundational player), who\u2019s our next All-Star?<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to put that on the kid\u2019s shoulders. But I think he has the skill set to become that if it all falls together for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

It did all fall together for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Until it began to fall apart over the last three seasons of his transcendent career in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

It was quite a ride punctuated by the 2021 NBA championship, the first in 50 years for the Bucks, who got 50 points from Antetokounmpo in the title-clinching win.<\/p>\n

Antetokounmpo was the MVP of the finals after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and five assists in the six-game series against the Phoenix Suns.<\/p>\n

Quite a ride, indeed, for 13 years. And quite a fall. For many, it was a bittersweet ending. Maybe bitter is too strong of a word. It was more disappointing than anything else.<\/p>\n

But overdue.<\/p>\n

\"Giannis<\/p>\n

\u201cCommunication breakdowns and conflicting actions from both (Giannis) Antetokounmpo and team leadership … led to a mutual loss of faith,\u201d reported Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat writer\u00a0Jim Owczarski. (Photo license<\/a>)<\/p>\n

PHOTO BY ERIK DROST<\/p>\n

Some NBA pundits believe the Bucks waited too long and should have traded him a year earlier. It might have avoided some of the Antetokounmpo fatigue that began to set in.<\/p>\n

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writer Jim Owczarski did a masterful job constructing a timeline<\/a> to chronicle the relationship between Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.<\/p>\n

Owczarski, the beat reporter, cited, \u201cCommunication breakdowns and conflicting actions from both Antetokounmpo and team leadership that led to a mutual loss of faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also pointed out, \u201cA series of coaching hires, including Adrian Griffin and Doc Rivers, failed to establish trust and a clear identity for the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin and Rivers followed Mike Budenholzer who coached the Bucks to the NBA crown. But he was fired two years later. He may have lost the locker room. Or Giannis.<\/p>\n

Wrote Owczarski, \u201cKey decisions, such as firing coach Mike Budenholzer and trading Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard, fractured the team\u2019s winning culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was plenty of blame to go around.<\/p>\n

The fall was destined.<\/p>\n

And the trade inevitable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis started a year ago when Giannis made a very direct request with his agent Alex Saratsis that the time had come to move on,\u201d said ESPN senior insider Shams Charania.<\/p>\n

Saratsis is also the agent of Miami\u2019s Bam Adebayo.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone in Milwaukee ownership on down had to align in the direction of the organization \u2026the Bucks were on the clock.\u201d<\/p>\n

To get Antetokounmpo and Portis, the Heat gave up Tyler Herro, Kel\u2019el Ware, Jamie Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap, one second-rounder.<\/p>\n

The 26-year-old Herro needs no introduction. He\u2019s a native Cheesehead who grew up in Greenfield, a Milwaukee suburb, 20 minutes from the Fiserv Forum.<\/p>\n

Herro attended Whitnall High School. Committed to the University of Wisconsin. Decommitted and went to Kentucky. Played one-year and entered the 2019 NBA draft.<\/p>\n

Miami took Herro with the 13th overall pick. The 6-5 guard has averaged over 20 points in five of his seven years. Was Sixth Man of the Year (2022) and All-Star (2025).<\/p>\n

\"Tyler<\/p>\n

Wisconsin native Tyler Herro decommitted from the Badgers to play at Kentucky. He returns to his home state to play for the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Giannis\u00a0Antetokounmpo trade with Milwaukee. (Photo license)<\/a><\/p>\n

PHOTO BY THOMAS SAVOJA<\/p>\n

And he may never play in Milwaukee. Herro will be a free agent after the 2026-27 season and there has been early speculation that he may be moved to another team.<\/p>\n

Everything is fluid with the Bucks, who are coming off a miserable 32-50 season and haven\u2019t won a first-round playoff series over the past four seasons.<\/p>\n

Draft assets are in demand.<\/p>\n

ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst shared his perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future of the Bucks organization and the outcome of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade was probably decided (Tuesday) with the picks that they made.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose are the cornerstones that they are going to build around. The players that they got from Miami are going to be good guys who are going to fill in the gaps.<\/p>\n

Lucas & Oates podcast<\/p>\n

Listen each week as two of the most experienced Wisconsin sports journalists analyze the latest news from the state’s college and pro teams.<\/p>\n

Subscribe to the Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates on\u00a0Apple Podcasts<\/a>,\u00a0Spotify<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0wherever<\/a>\u00a0you get your podcasts.\u00a0The Wisconsin Sportscast is sponsored by Ridge Top Exteriors and Leopold’s Books Bar Caff\u00e8.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey could have gone with (Boston\u2019s) Jaylen Brown and immediately had a star player. And they thought about this for weeks. What should we do?<\/p>\n

\u201cShould we try to build through young players in the draft? Or should we go with a known quantity? They chose young players in the draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how they come out of the development process is how we\u2019re going to find out how they\u2019re going to be remembered for making this big Giannis trade.\u201d<\/p>\n

ESPN analyst Andraya Carter likes Milwaukee\u2019s direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can all name teams that have gone into a win-all mode and brought in a superstar and tried to build quickly and it hasn\u2019t always worked out,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Milwaukee has taken the approach similar to Oklahoma City. They get young guys and they build slowly, and I appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

With their own lottery pick, No. 10 overall, the Bucks grabbed Arizona guard Brayden Burries, 20, the leading scorer on the Wildcats\u2019 2026 Final Four team.<\/p>\n

Unlike Ament, the 6-4, 215-pound Burries looks physically ready to contribute immediately. ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks called him, \u201cThe Silent Assassin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a man of few words,\u201d Marks said. \u201cBut he\u2019s got some toughness\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

In Arizona\u2019s comeback win at BYU, Burries had a career-high 29 points and a game-saving block in the closing seconds. \u201cHe impacts winning,\u201d said ESPN analyst Jay Bilas.<\/p>\n

\"Brayden<\/p>\n

Former Arizona Wildcats player Brayden Burries, right, was the Bucks’ selection at No. 10 in the NBA draft. (Photo license)<\/a><\/p>\n

PHOTO BY MGoBlog<\/p>\n

Milwaukee\u2019s new head coach Taylor Jenkins and general manager Jon Horst appeared with Burries and Ament at Thursday\u2019s introductory media conference.<\/p>\n

Ament has left a favorable impression on Bilas, who called him a \u201ctop 10 talent\u201d and a \u201cskilled, graceful athlete\u201d who will get stronger with time and grow into his lanky frame.<\/p>\n

Yet patience is in short supply.<\/p>\n

The jury is out on Milwaukee\u2019s revamped ownership team, namely co-owner Jimmy Haslam, who\u2019s also the owner of the NFL\u2019s Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n

Within 21 days, the Browns traded defensive end Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams and the Bucks sent Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat. Haslam\u2019s imminent legacy?<\/p>\n

In describing Burries, Bilas said, \u201cHe\u2019s got no memory. Once he does something, it\u2019s in his rearview mirror, he doesn\u2019t think about it. He\u2019s on to the next thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although it might be the ideal metaphor in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo was bigger than life as depicted by that 54-foot-tall mural of him on the fa\u00e7ade of a downtown building.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had a generational player, and they invested everything into maximizing that,\u201d Windhorst rationalized. \u201cOK, that window is over. Now we have a new era.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bucks are on to the next thing.<\/p>\n

However bittersweet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Cap Times is an independent newsroom serving Madison and Wisconsin. Sign up for the Morning Update to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":727464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":["post-727463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","tag-nba","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=727463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/727463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/727464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=727463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=727463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=727463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}