Giannis Antetokounmpo says part of the reason why he decided to change his number (from No. 34 to 7) after being traded to the Miami Heat was that he wanted to close the door on his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks. He also wanted the legacy of his No. 34 to remain in Milwaukee.
But he did leave the door open to bring that legacy to the Heat if he decides to change his mind down the road.
In a recent interview, Giannis went on to explain why he ultimately made the decision to switch to a new number. However, interestingly enough, he did crack open the possibility of going back to part of what he says makes his Bucks legacy so special. The No. 34.
“Had to get closure. It was a huge chapter in my life. Now, I want to move on and the reason I’m not wearing 34 is out of respect. Not just the organization, but the people that was there with me. 34 will only be worn in Milwaukee. — But I’m human. I might change my mind. Maybe next year I might put 34 on. We’ll see.”
Should Giannis bring No. 34 to the Miami Heat?
Even though Giannis seems to contradict himself to a certain extent in this interview, you do have to respect his honesty. And he's completely right.
The decision to change numbers was him trying to close one chapter of his career and open another. There's also part of this that does come off as a sign of respect for his time with the Bucks. That's completely understandable. And admirable to a certain extent. All of this is new to him, and he believed that changing numbers would help be a sign of how much he valued his time with the Bucks.
At the same time, would it be that surprising if he felt differently a year from now?
As Giannis says, he is human. If he wants to change his mind, he has every right to. Maybe a year from now, once the initial shock of being traded is gone, Giannis will want to go back to the No. 34. It may not line up with everything he said in this interview about the number switch, but people can change their minds.
I'm not sure if such a move would help his goodwill in Milwaukee, but would it be that surprising if he ended up wanting to keep the legacy of his No. 34 going in Miami? It may not matter in the huge scheme of things, but it's certainly one more layer to this entire saga.
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