Ex-Knicks star John Starks responds to whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will join New York
Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images John Starks has poured cold water on growing speculation linking Giannis Antetokounmpo with a move to the New York Knicks. The former Knicks star does not believe the blockbuster switch will happen, despite increasing noise around Giannis’ future. Antetokounmpo is approaching the final stage of his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, prompting widespread interest across the league.
New York has emerged as one of several potential destinations. However, Starks sees the situation very differently. John Starks doubts Giannis Antetokounmpo will move to New York Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Cantor Fitzgerald Starks made his stance clear when asked about the possibility in an interview with Front Office Sports.
“Giannis is not coming. He’s not coming. To be honest with you, I’m not sure if he was going to leave Milwaukee, because he’s such a loyal individual and I respect that about him, because he could have left any time before they won the championship,” he began by saying.
“He said, ‘No, just give me some players, put around me and I’ll bring you a championship,’ and he delivered on his promise. I respect players like that. You don’t want to see guys jumping from team to team.
“New York is the greatest city ever when you win it, but if you ain’t winning it, it could be a tough city for you. I think everybody wants to be in a big market. Giannis definitely wants to be in a big market, obviously, but you have to win too on top of that.