Giannis Antetokounmpo gives a sentimental reason why he left #34 in Milwaukee

Giannis Antetokounmpo gives a sentimental reason why he left #34 in Milwaukee originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo's trade to the Miami Heat has been made official, his decision to part ways with his iconic #34 has been put under the spotlight. He will be wearing the #7, which was vacated by Kel'el Ware, who was part of the trade package to the Milwaukee Bucks.

This was surprising because Giannis had #34 available for him at Miami despite the franchise's numerous retired numbers. With Giannis pivoting away from his previous number, it was clear that people wanted to ask him about it, which is why he gave such a sentimental answer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo on why he left #34 back in Milwaukee

For the longest time, people associated Giannis with one number. It was the number that saw him go from a rail-thin rookie to becoming the best power forward in the league. Now, he is moving off that, which was a surprising decision.

He initially chose the number because he combined the last numbers in his parents' birth years, which were 1963 and 1964. Now, he has simply added 3 and 4, which comes out to #7. It might be a jarring change, but it seems he is happy he made that decision.

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It is truly a new era for Antetokounmpo because he will be playing for a new team with an entirely new look. This was a simple jersey number change, but it was a sentimental decision for Giannis.

"I feel like 34 holds so much weight, and it has so much history. Out of respect to the organization that drafted me, which I played for for 13 years. I decided to leave that number there and try to start a new chapter," Giannis said in his introductory press conference.

This will be an exciting shift for Giannis and the Heat because they now have one of the league's best players. Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo will be one of the most fearsome defensive partnerships in the league, which should scare the rest of the NBA.

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