Giannis Antetokounmpo expresses gratitude to Bucks fans and assures them that the team will return to their rightful place.

It has been three years since Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks clinched the NBA championship. Since then, they have faced playoff disappointments marked by devastating injuries.

As the remainder of the 2024 NBA postseason unfolds without the Bucks following their first-round playoff series loss to the Indiana Pacers earlier this month, Antetokounmpo shares a message with Bucks fans.

“Milwaukee, THANK YOU!” Antetokounmpo expressed on Instagram late Wednesday. “This season didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but I promise you we will get back to where we belong, and they’re going to give us our damn flowers.”

Accompanying the post were three celebratory photos of Antetokounmpo from the season.

Antetokounmpo’s message follows shortly after his selection to the all-NBA first team for the sixth consecutive year. Last week, despite being a two-time MVP, Antetokounmpo finished fourth in MVP voting for the 2023-24 season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had an exceptional 2023-24 season with the Bucks, despite being sidelined due to injury for the entirety of their playoff series loss to the Pacers.

He posted impressive averages of 30.4 points (the second-best in the NBA), 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 35.2 minutes across 73 games. Notably, this marked the first time in NBA history that a player averaged at least 30 points while shooting 60% in a season. Additionally, Antetokounmpo earned his eighth consecutive All-Star appearance.

The Bucks endured a turbulent season, including a midseason coaching change, and finished with a 49-33 record, their lowest number of wins in a full 82-game season since 2017-18.

In the playoffs, as the third seed, the Bucks fell to the sixth-seeded Pacers in a first-round series, losing 4-2. Antetokounmpo was sidelined for the entire series due to a calf strain, an injury sustained late in the season. This marked the second consecutive postseason in which Antetokounmpo missed games due to injury.