Athletes mean well, but some at times will say strange things.
Case and point: Giannis Antetokounmpo believes it would be disrespectful to his old peeps who supported and cared for him to continue to wear No.34 outside of Milwaukee.
It's hard to imagine his old teammates, friends or fans would even care about the numerical stitching on his back.
Seriously, consider all this guy has done for the community, so anything he does that is perceived negatively, within reason, will probably be excused in Milwaukee. He could have just stopped at wearing No.34 was a different chapter of his life. Then he oddly walked it back saying he might change his mind next year.
I'm over all these interviews trying to make the star more appealing to the city when he is already beloved. Bring on the games, darn it. There's too many preseason outings as it is and real questions can't be asked until the games matter. Nothing of value can be taken from the honeymoon phase.
Now Antetokounmpo is No. 7 and if he has the tenure the front office expects, he'll have his jersey retired one day. Keep in mind how No. 7 should have permanently belonged to Goran Dragi, who did more for the Miami Heat in the playoffs than Tim Hardaway - yet Kyle Lowry wore it directly after the Dragon and was nothing more than an ordinary player for 2.5 seasons. Back in those days, being Butler's friend came with status.
There's a simple solution if Antetokounmpo delivers, gets rewarded in the rafters and doesn't enrage every person of importance like Butler did: retire No. 7 for him and Dragi.
This practice is not unprecedented. Keep in mind that the New York Knicks have No. 15 retired for Dick McGuire and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, which was the ultimate sign of class. McGuire never won a championship, but was on three teams that went to the Finals (1951-53), and Monroe later helped them win one in 1973. Additionally, the Dallas Mavericks have No. 24 retired for the late Kobe Bryant, who played his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, because of his legacy, and for Mark Aguirre, who spent eight years there.
Dragi was the team's best player for a bit after Dwyane Wade left for Chicago, earning an All-Star selection in 2018, and he was top three on the squad that went to the Finals, until he and Bam Adebayo got wounded.
Apr 13, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Miami Heat guard Goran Dragic against the Phoenix Suns at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports
They didn't win against the 2020 Lakers, but being a major part of a team that upset two favorites in the playoffs, being Antetokounmpo's Bucks when he was the reigning MVP and the Boston Celtics, makes him worthy of this honor.
Aside, Dragi was a part of Slovenia's 2017 Gold medal team in FIBA EuroBasket. Just think about how the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame encompasses a player's contributions everywhere, and how Dragi's international rsum has serious weight. How would it look if he was put into the Hall of Fame, but the Heat, who he spent his best years with, haven'thonored him appropriately?
Hopefully, his contributions don't get forgotten as the Heat embark on their next chapter.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/heat/onsi as Don't Forget Who Wore No. 7 Before Giannis Antetokounmpo .
