Giannis Antetokounmpo is heading into a new era with a new number, and the change carries more weight than a simple jersey swap.
After 13 seasons in No. 34 with the Milwaukee Bucks, the two-time MVP will wear No. 7 with the Miami Heat. Antetokounmpo could have kept his old number, but he said he made the move as a sign of respect for the Bucks and what No. 34 has come to represent.
“I wore 34 because my mom was born in 1963, my dad was in 1964, so I took the three and the four,” Antetokounmpo explained. “If you add three and four, it equals seven. And my mom was born on April 7 - that's a reason I changed my number.
“The reason that I really changed my number is because I feel like 34 holds so much weight and has so much history. Out of respect to the organization that drafted me and I played for for 13 years, I decided to leave that number there and try to start a new chapter.
“Hopefully I can leave my mark here in Miami and make No. 7 as legendary as No. 34.”
He said the switch also brings him “closure, mentally and emotionally.”
No. 34 was never just a random digit for Antetokounmpo, and the numbers in his Milwaukee run explain why. The Bucks drafted him 15th overall in 2013, and he developed from a raw prospect into one of the NBA’s all-time greats.
In Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo piled up a list of honors that includes 10 All-Star selections, two MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year trophy, Finals MVP and an NBA championship. He also averaged 24.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in a Bucks uniform.
Now the story shifts to Miami, where No. 7 gets the chance to build its own history.
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