This will hardly be the sentiment at the current point in the Giannis Antetokounmpo (from here forward referred to simply as Giannis) timeline. It has been arduous, but not without joy. The roller coaster cannot be a truly legendary roller coaster unless it has the premium ‘peaks’ to go with the ‘valleys’. The Giannis Roller Coaster certainly had the peaks. We cannot forget, and believe me, we will not forget, what the Giannis Era in Milwaukee has brought us as fans.

But that is why it is time to get off the ride.

The ride … era … even career? … at this point is sufficient. At least least for me as a Bucks fan. We need to end it before it gets too dark. It’s already headed that way. Not because of Giannis. It’s the haters! The many, many haters. Of which, there are indeed many. Many haters. Both obvious and obviously hidden. Behind alternate twitter accounts, and names like Shams, Perkins, Broussard, and my friends who I need not embarrass and publicly name in this space all championing the ‘anti-small market agenda’ we have long fought hard against, that Giannis so soundly defeated in 2021. Or so we thought.

They tried a half decade ago to end the Giannis ride for us. He wasn’t having it then, and I believe he still doesn’t want it now. Shams has yet again dropped another report that Giannis has informed the Bucks it may be time to part ways. Shams has become the biggest name in the Giannis Trade Arena and almost bigger than Giannis himself. He cannot help himself. Several times, not even days after Giannis has stated in his own words he does not want to be traded and would not ask for a trade, Shams reports the exact contrary. This time, with the trade deadline looming, he has done it again. But his own personal deadline was not inspired by Giannis making a statement – it is the actual NBA Trade Deadline.

Somebody as great as Giannis owes a tax in this profession. A tax that requires him to spurn his small market fans to truly reach greatness. Giannis never wanted to play by those rules though and he overcame them despite the outside noise and the odds being stacked against him. He brought the small market fans an NBA Championship in 2021 for it and cemented himself as a true legend of the game. A feat so impossible that as the talking heads discuss his inevitable trade it is held against fans as the lone reason they cannot possibly be upset with Giannis if he were to speak up as Shams has falsely reported time and time again.

All of this, “Fans can’t be mad because Giannis delivered a title in 2021!” rhetoric is almost as inconsiderate and arrogant as suggesting Giannis is forcing a trade, or in past years that he should force a trade. It tells small market fans everywhere that they are nothing more than the feeder to large media markets. It tells small market fans, “You should be happy that you were so lucky to win one championship! You had your one, now give us the best player in your franchise’s history (for trade packages that get less and less desirable because actually Giannis is kind of overrated and shitty now) to shove into our machine and squeeze every last drop out of on a super team, where at the end of the day if he doesn’t win multiple rings (because that’s the real standard here) we will drag his name through the mud and make fun of him for wearing too many different colored uniforms in the twilight of his career (see: Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, and Shaq) as he chases the standard we really judge players on in this sport.”

Giannis doesn’t want to do that bullshit. The NBA media shouldn’t alienate the quiet majority of their fans by spewing this bullshit either. But here we are. We have come to a crossroad that cannot be crossed until we play by their rules. The jig is up and it’s been fun while it lasted. We will always have 2021 to point back to, although it’s already a title run that has been discounted because it doesn’t fit what the talking heads have trained their loyal servants to respect.

It has gotten too messy. And Giannis should ask to be traded at this point. He truly does not owe Milwaukee anything more. Not because of the 2021 Championship, but because he stood strong in the face of this Big Market Propaganda for as long as he possibly could. The Lowes and Becks and Wrights are beginning to defame Giannis’s character by telling us on their podcasts he is becoming passive aggressive. That is the bridge too far. Giannis is many, many things, but he is not the same selfish creature these podcast hosts are used to talking about and Giannis needs to protect himself against yet a new form of enemy gunfire before they take him all the way down.

We are admitting defeat here. I fully understand that. The beauty of this is it’s still just basketball. And by admitting defeat, Giannis simply gets to go play the game in a new city with a new uniform. It will appease the goblins trying to dictate his legacy, even if we know they will move the goalposts once he takes that next step.

Fame and fortune in the National Basketball Association giveth, and it taketh. It just is what it is.

Hey Giannis, from this Bucks fan, we are good.