Giannis Antetokounmpo has practically ingratiated himself into Milwaukee. Any mention of the ‘Greek Freak,’ and you automatically identify it with the ‘Brew City’. As such, trade rumors surrounding the 2x MVP hadn’t gotten as much attention as they normally get. That is not to say, it did not get people talking. Just not the way you would imagine.

The Bucks’ rocky start to the season was the beginning of the trade rumors. A team that should already be instilling the ‘fear of the deer’ in the league has fallen far short of expectations. But even so, a trade to the Houston Rockets was something no one really saw coming. However, when an NBA Insider reports the possibility of such a thing, it’s only natural for everyone to give it some thought.

Marc Stein wrote on Sunday that “whispers have begun to percolate among rival teams monitoring a potential down-the-road Houston pursuit” of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Needless to say, once it caught the attention of the Rockets’ beat writers, Kelly Iko of The Athletic took it upon himself to get to the bottom of it.

And the result was that Houston was not in the least interested in any sort of trade involving the NBA champ. “The Rockets are not interested in breaking up their core for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources tell @TheAthletic. Houston, sitting at 10-5 and a game out of first in the West, remains focused on developing its young players as a collective.“

Interestingly enough, fans were quick to dismiss the matter. In fact, many labeled it as nothing more than “media fiction”. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo-Rockets rumors deemed “nonsensical” and pure speculation- Fans’ verdict

One fan summed up the sentiment perfectly, commenting, “I swear Giannis media fiction gets dumber every day.” It’s clear they are fed up with what they see as baseless assumptions, especially when it comes to a player so deeply connected to Milwaukee.

Another fan voiced their frustration, holding nothing back. “What other nonsensical trade proposals will you cook up next? Embarasing hack stuff.” This sentiment, no doubt, echoes the growing impatience among the Bucks loyalists who are tired of continual speculation, and feel these rumors undermine Giannis‘ value and the team’s stability.

Yet another fan vented, “You morons have spent months talking about trading for a guy who has never once been anything but completely untouchable.” The comment highlights the common annoyance over repeated rumors about Giannis, a player who has consistently reaffirmed his loyalty to Milwaukee.

After the Rockets made it clear that they weren’t pursuing Antetokoumpo, this user couldn’t help but direct a dig at the media. “What will the national media start talking about now,” the individual commented, clearly a playful jab at the media for constantly stirring up rumors, now that the speculation seems to be falling apart.

Well, the media talks about a lot. By the way, Giannis himself was the pioneer of all the trade speculations. In September 2023, the Greek Freak had specified that he was “a winner” and fame didn’t matter to him, nor did comfort.

He pointed to the Larry O’Brien trophy and then said, “That’s what matters. And I don’t want to be able to get stuck in this lifetime to keep on talking about the same story: ‘Oh, we went to Game 6 in the NBA Finals, we won. We were down 2-0, we came back, we won four games.’ I’m tired of hearing the same story over and over again.”

“Most importantly, I’m a winner. I want to win. And I have to do whatever it takes for me to win. And if there’s a better situation for me to win the Larry O’Brien, I have to take that better situation,” he concluded. Now, as one of the best hoopsters on the planet, you don’t say that and then not expect speculation, do you?

But this fan aimed one at Iko himself. “Thanks Kelly, for a non update. Lol.” A lighthearted jab, this guy was in effect saying that Kelly’s report essentially shut down the trade rumors without adding anything new to the conversation, leaving fans amused by the lack of real news.

Well, it’s clear that Giannis Antetokounmpo remains untouchable for now. The backlash from fans highlights the growing frustration with endless rumors that seem detached from reality. As the season unfolds, it’s clear that Bucks loyalists are not buying into the media’s sensationalism. Rather, they are focused on what matters: Antetokoumpo & Co.’s performance on the court.