Calls Mount Against Shams Charania For Giannis Antetokounmpo Claim as Bucks Announce Surprise Move

At long last, it looks like the ‘will they, won’t they’ breakup saga between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks has come to an end. The team won a chip in 2021, but since then? It has been a slew of first-round exits for the Greek Freak and his team. Between all the painful losses and annoying narratives, some fans have been asking for Giannis to relocate for a while now. And this off-season? It seems like he really considered it.

Yes, bad seasons are “steps to success,” as Antetokounmpo put it, but the six-foot-eleven forward looked tired of carrying all of the burden. After all, he has been averaging about 30 points and 11 rebounds ever since his 2020-21 MVP season, but still, success eludes him. To be fair to Milwaukee, they did try and push for another ring. The Bucks made a huge trade in 2023 to acquire Damian Lillard, but untimely injuries eventually laid bare their championship hopes.

Shams Charania of ESPN fame, after the Bucks’ first-round exit this year, reported that, “for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere.” But luckily for Milwaukee fans, all these rumors have essentially been put to rest.

Earlier today, Shams reported that Thanasis Antetokounmpo is signing a guaranteed one-year deal with the Bucks. We know what this means. Giannis Antetokounmpo is big on family—there’s no denying it, no doubts about it. Considering Thanasis’s limited playing time and the heavily criticized lack of production from the six-foot-nine forward, there’s only one clear message here: the Greek Freak is running it back with the Bucks for at least one more year.

At the end of the tweet was a small statement from Shams that made the NBA community lose their minds: “This also means after a summer of exploring options, Giannis is staying in Milwaukee to start the season.” After all of the speculation and all of the rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo’s departure, this signing opened up the ESPN reporter to a lot of criticism. Let’s find out exactly what the fans had to say!

Fans call out Shams Charania after latest Giannis Antetokounmpo update

It’s always tough covering a tricky situation involving superstars. And credit where credit is due, Shams Charania has so far lived up to the legacy that Woj bestowed upon him earlier this year. However, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-Milwaukee Bucks situation has led to a lot of call-outs for the suspense and the speculation that the ESPN reporter had been building up.

Fans criticized Charania for hyping up a Bucks-Giannis breakup this offseason, only to report Thanasis’ signing a few months later. “Bro promised Antetokounmpo news all offseason and got Thanasis. This is why Woj clears.” A fan tweeted, and honestly? It was a pretty common sentiment. A big reason why Shams is even being called out is because Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it clear that he’s trying to win a second ring with the Bucks.

On Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s podcast, the Thanalysis Show, the Alphabet revealed his career plans. “I look back at my career and everybody can say, ‘Oh, incredible career, active Hall of Famer, first ballot, whatever.’ But me, my personal goal, if I am not able to help my team win a second ring, I’m letting down myself.” The phrase to focus on here is helping his team, the Milwaukee Bucks, win a second ring.

And fans have recognised his loyalty, even though the team’s success is slowly tapering off. Giannis shows up every day, drops 30 and 10 on just about any team in the league, and stays true to his city. So, for Shams to still imply that the Greek Freak might leave? Well, it drew a slew of hate from fans and supporters on social media.

“Thanks for that last sentence puppet man! What a shameless, hilarious, pitiful excuse of journalism you put forth with Giannis this summer. See you next summer when you do it all over again :)” One fan said, pulling absolutely no punches against Charania’s reporting and journalistic integrity, and others agreed. “And somehow the sports media will spin this to say it’s a sign that Giannis is leaving. Shams even ends this with eluding to the idea Giannis could still leave during the season.”  Another supporter said on X.

Even though we get where these fans are coming from, Shams isn’t at fault in this situation. It isn’t easy to report trouble between a superstar and their cities. Nor is it easy to do it in a way that doesn’t anger people. While reporting this entire situation, Charania was doing his job and nothing more. Obviously, some fans got the memo, as their comments were more focused on the move by Milwaukee’s front office.

 “$2.9M for Thanasis means Giannis is fully bought in. Bucks keeping family together – classic market inefficiency most teams miss. Smart play by Milwaukee’s front office. This isn’t just a roster move, it’s cultural capital.” A couple of fans pointed out. Say what you want about Jon Horst’s recent moves, he knows exactly how to keep his superstars happy. This isn’t the first time Giannis Antetokounmpo hung back with the Bucks, even though everyone was predicting a breakup. He did the same thing in 2020 and 2023. “Feels like the Bucks are keeping the family vibe strong. Smart move to keep Giannis happy too!”

And as we wrap things up, there’s one phrase that sums everything up… Heavy is the head that wears the crown. As long as Giannis keeps playing at an MVP and All-NBA First Team level, which he has been doing, every team in the league will want him. Whenever things get bad, rumor mills will work overtime, and franchises will try to poach the young star. Let’s hope he ends up winning another chip in Milwaukee soon, because the NBA star definitely deserves it!