After Jalen Bruson and Tyrese Haliburton, Giannis Antetokounmpo got his moment at the WWE Elimination Chamber event on Saturday. Since the Bucks star is a longtime wrestling fan, he felt at home at the United Center in Chicago. But it was not the Bulls he was linked with; in fact, it was the New York Knicks, a team for which he had shared adoration.

Thanasis and Giannis Antetokounmpo had a front row seat for WWE Elimination Chamber as they were shown during a break in the action. The crowd would boo the 2x MVP since he is a rival. But the Greek Freak had ardent support from WWE’s best play-by-play announcer, Michael Cole. He pleaded on air for the Bucks star to join his favorite team.”Please, Giannis, come to New York,” Cole said. “Please come to the Garden.”

Michael Cole, born in Syracuse, NY, has been a lifelong fan of New York sports. For the 2025 NBA playoffs, his love for the Knicks cost him a bet against his best friend and Indiana superfan Pat McAfee. This year, the two teams won’t meet in the playoffs, but seeing the Knicks win a championship again is still a dream for Cole. That’s why the request for Giannis to switch sides.

Since the Bucks star was in the arena, he did not have a headset. So the plea from Cole might have gone unheard. But the interest has always been high. This pleading could work for the future.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have had a turbulent season, marked by injuries, poor play, and trade rumors. Currently sidelined by a calf strain suffered in late January, the 2x MVP is hoping for a swift return. His presence in Chicago for WWE Elimination Chamber was also not random. The Bucks face the Bulls at the United Center on Sunday, March 1, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET. So naturally, the team arrived a day before, and the Greek Freak got the time to watch another wrestling show.

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Despite the trade deadline having already passed, the rumors of him leaving have not died down completely. With the Knicks being one of them, and Giannis’s admiration for them, it’s difficult to shut down those rumors.

The team remains special to the Greek Freak for multiple reasons. Antetokounmpo debuted against the Knicks. He scored his first career point at Madison Square Garden. Thanasis also scored his first points at MSG after the Knicks drafted him. That’s why Giannis previously stated, “I love the Knicks. Great team,” Antetokounmpo confessed.

Bucks’ front office gets help for Giannis Antetokounmpo to remain in Milwaukee

While New York remained interested, Milwaukee never had serious consideration of moving on from the 31-year-old. Even though he confirmed he will never ask for a trade, there is still a possibility of him leaving as ideology clash.

“The most important thing I want to win the championship with the Milwaukee Bucks,” Antetokounmpo had said, but then added, “If that’s not on the table or in the plans, so that’s when you kind of like, ‘Okay, maybe I got to pivot because I really want to win.’” To keep him in Wisconsin even after this summer, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson made a great pitch.

“Hey WWE – Let’s host Money In The Bank, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, or the next WWE Elimination Chamber in Milwaukee at Fiserv Forum or American Family Field,” Johnson wrote on X. While the Bucks can focus on strategising the roster, Johnson is making sure that the off-court activities that Giannis Antetokounmpo likes also come to Milwaukee.

It’s been almost nine years since WWE had its PPV in Milwaukee. As Tyrese Haliburton was the face for WWE when they ran the Royal Rumble last year in Indiana, Johnson’s plea can lead to a similar result for Milwaukee. But for that, Giannis will have to stay beyond the summer.