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Giannis Antetokounmpo Believes Bucks Should Retire Former Superstar's Jersey
Sep 27, 2021; Milwaukee, WI, USA: Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Jrue Holiday (21) pose for pictures during Media Day at the Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo Believes Bucks Should Retire Former Superstar's Jersey

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI
By Alex Kirschenbaum  |  Last updated May 28, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Milwaukee Bucks have changed a lot since winning it all in 2021.

Only four players remain on the Bucks' roster from that team: nine-time All-NBA superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, former two-time All-Defensive Team center Brook Lopez , sixth man power forward/center Bobby Portis Jr. and deep-bench reserve shooting guard Pat Connaughton.

Lopez, 37, is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and was badly outplayed by his younger equivalent, 3-and-D Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner, in the Bucks' five-game first-round playoff defeat this spring.

Portis and Connaughton have player options this offseason.

Portis — who supplanted an underperforming Lopez in Game 5 — could earn a significant raise in free agency, should he decline his option. Connaughton, meanwhile, would be lucky to earn a veteran's minimum on the open market, and will most likely opt into his contract.

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But the Bucks' second- and third-best players from that run back to championship glory are both gone.

Two-time All-Star and six-time Defensive Player of the Year guard Jrue Holiday was flipped to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2023 offseason so that the Bucks could acquire nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard and sacrifice offense for defense. Portland traded Holiday to the Boston Celtics, and he instantly won his second title the next spring.

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Three-time All-Star swingman Khris Middleton, meanwhile, fell off with a series of injuries. He underwent a pair of ankle surgeries during the 2024 offseason, and even when he returned, he barely resembled the two-way talent he had been in his prime.

Milwaukee, frustrated, offloaded Middleton at the trade deadline.

As ESPN's Shams Charania first reported, the Bucks shipped out Middleton, young wing AJ Johnson, and a first-round pick swap to the Washington Wizards for combo forward Kyle Kuzma, guard Patrick Baldwin Jr. and second-round draft equity.

In his 14 healthy contests for Washington, the 6-foot-7 wing averaged a middling 10.7 points on .413/.277/.868 shooting splits, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 steals a night.

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Antetokounmpo, who had spent all of his 11-and-a-half seasons in Milwaukee alongside Middleton, advocated for Middleton's No. 22 jersey to be retired.

"1000%," Antetokounmpo wrote while retweeting a post from fan page Bucks Realm advocating for Middleton's jersey being retired.

10 players have had their jerseys retired by the franchise, including one very famous non-Bucks player.

Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who wore No. 33 for the team) and Oscar Robertson (No. 1), the foundational pieces for the club's run to the 1971 championship, both have their threads in the rafters.

Wing and eventual part owner Junior Bridgeman's No. 2 jersey, Hall of Fame shooting guard Sidney Moncrief's No. 4 jersey, five-time All-Star swingman and current commentator Marques Johnson's No. 8 jersey, Hall of Fame forward Bob Dandridge's No. 10 jersey, All-Star and champion wing Jon McGlocklin's No. 14 jersey, Hall of Fame center Bob Lanier's No. 16 jersey, and two-time All-Star shooting guard Brian Winters' No. 32 jersey are the other Milwaukee numbers that have been permanently retired.

Trailblazing Hall of Fame former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey is also now off-limits for any future Bucks players.

More Milwaukee Bucks News:

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Bucks Signing Major Free Agent Could Keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee

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For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.


This article first appeared on Milwaukee Bucks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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