Giannis Antetokounmpo Expresses His Desire to Coach The Knicks After Revealing Retirement Plan

An athlete’s time at the highest level, however long it lasts, is ultimately brief. Most, by the time they reach their 30s or 40s, have to move on to a second career, sometimes within sports and sometimes outside of it. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, 31, is still far from hanging up his boots, much to the frustration of his NBA rivals. In fact, he recently took on a new challenge by joining the Miami Heat in pursuit of another championship. Even so, he’s already given thought to what he wants to do once his NBA playing career comes to an end.

Twitch streamer N3ON is among Giannis' fans curious about his plans for the future, and while livestreaming with the Heat forward in Greece, he asked him about just that.

"It's either I'm going to be a stay-at-home dad, or I'm going to be a coach," Antetokounmpo replied. "I want to be a coach in the NBA."

N3on then decided to ask him which team he'd want to coach right now. This time, it took Antetokounmpo a second to think about the answer, but once he had it, he said it with absolute certainty.

"The New York Knicks," he said, and then called them the best team in the league right now. Afterward, he admitted he could also invest to make money, which, quite frankly, isn't as interesting as the thought of seeing Giannis in a tracksuit coaching one of the most iconic franchises in the NBA.

But if Giannis chooses a quiet life after bidding farewell to the hardwood, much like Michael Jordan did, staying involved in basketball may not be on the cards. N3ON asked whether that was something he envisioned for himself.

Antetokounmpo replied that he might disappear for a few years and do his own thing, explaining that he doesn’t have that luxury now as one of the world’s most recognizable NBA players. He also reiterated that, once he retires, he wants to be far more present in the lives of his children, Liam, Maverick, Eva, and Ari.

Despite what happened last season with injuries, there’s no reason to believe that Giannis is considering retiring anytime soon. He was limited to only 36 games because of leg injuries, including a right calf strain and a hyperextended left knee. But when he played, he looked motivated to win every single game, and his numbers showed he was still elite.

He averaged 27.6 points on a career-high 62.4 percent clip. He also averaged 9.8 rebounds per game. This was the first time since the 2016-17 season that he did not average double-digit rebounds, but he just barely missed the mark.

So, it’ll likely be a while before we hypothetically see Giannis in charge of the Knicks’ training plans. Interestingly, though, he almost became part of Madison Square Garden folklore in 2025, when he was heavily linked with a move to New York.

Giannis Antetokounmpo's links to the New York Knicks

This was Giannis flirting with the idea of staying in New York someday in the future. But over the last year or so, his name has been linked to the franchise in other ways.

In the summer of 2025, the Antetokounmpo trade saga was just beginning. He reportedly grew discontent with the team, a feeling further exacerbated by the Bucks’ decision to waive Damian Lillard after the 2024-25 season. Giannis wanted to compete for championships, and as much as he loved the city of Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin, he was in America to win rings and rub shoulders with the best in the playoffs, not exit in the Play-In Tournament and watch the postseason from Europe.

This reportedly led him to ask Milwaukee’s front office to explore trade options. At the time, the only destination he had in mind was the New York Knicks because they were a big-market team with a legitimate shot at winning. Some discussions took place between the two sides, but ultimately, no deal was reached.

If the Knicks had not won the NBA championship this year, it would have been easy to think those talks might have been revisited.

Still, he ultimately ended up getting traded to another preferred destination: the Miami Heat.