Giannis Antetokounmpo still believes aging Bucks can compete: ‘These guys, they’re beasts’

The Milwaukee Bucks may be aging, but superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t losing any faith in his team.

The eight-time All-Star explained why he isn’t exactly concerned about the fact that the Bucks are “getting older.”

“We’re getting older,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re not getting any younger, but that doesn’t mean we cannot still perform at a high level. It’s hard to say, ‘Yeah, we’re old and you have to make changes.’ Because these guys, they’re beasts.”

Antetokounmpo hasn’t hit 30 yet, but he will during the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, fellow Bucks veterans Damian Lillard (34) and Khris Middleton (33) are already on the wrong side of 30.

In addition to Milwaukee’s core trio, there are several other players on the team’s roster that are either approaching 30 or past it. Veteran center Brook Lopez (36) is the oldest player on Milwaukee’s roster.

The Bucks have had three straight disappointing playoff showings. After they won the 2021 NBA title, they failed in their championship defense in 2022 by taking a second-round exit. Things got even worse in 2022 and 2023, with the team losing in the first round both times.

A trade for Lillard prior to last season didn’t end up being a magic fix, as he had a largely forgettable showing in his first year with the team.

But the 2024-25 season marks a clean slate for the Bucks, who are still very talented on paper. If they can turn their potential into actual results, they could very well become threats once again in the Eastern Conference.

Antetokounmpo knows what it takes to win a championship — and so do some other members of Milwaukee’s roster — so it’s encouraging that he still has belief in his team’s ability to “perform at a high level” despite age being a factor. Now, it will be a matter of proving it.

After a pretty quiet offseason for the Bucks, they’re going to have to lean on internal growth and continuity in order to take a step in the right direction this season. They’ll get their first chance to make a statement on Oct. 23, when they’ll open their season against the new-look Philadelphia 76ers on the road.

That should give the Bucks an early chance to see how they measure up against one of the most talented teams in the Eastern Conference after the 76ers acquired veteran forward Paul George this offseason.