Giannis Antetokounmpo thanks Bucks fans and promises the team will get back to 'where we belong'

It's been three years since Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were on top of the NBA mountain as champions.

Since then, it's been playoff disappointments filled with devastating injuries.

As the rest of the 2024 NBA postseason continues to play out without the Bucks after their first-round playoff series loss to the Indiana Pacers earlier this month, Antetokounmpo has a message for Bucks fans.

"Milwaukee, THANK YOU!" Antetokounmpo wrote on Instagram overnight 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 💐"

Three celebration photos of Antetokounmpo during the season accompanied the post.

Antetokounmpo's message comes hours after he was named to the all-NBA first-team for a sixth straight year. Last week, Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, finished fourth in MVP voting for the 2023-24 season.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2023-24 stats with Bucks

Despite having to watch the Bucks' entire playoff series loss to the Pacers from the sidelines due to an injury, Antetokounmpo had a historic season.

He averaged 30.4 points (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.

It was the first time in NBA history a player has averaged at least 30 points while shooting 60% in a season. He earned his eighth straight All-Star appearance.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo has injury for second straight season in the playoffs

The Bucks, who experienced a turbulent season that included a midseason coaching change, finished with a 49-33 record. It was the team's fewest wins during a full 82-game season since 2017-18.

The third-seeded Bucks then lost to the sixth-seeded Pacers in a first-round playoff series, 4-2. Antetokounmpo missed the whole series with a calf strain, an injury that he suffered during a game late in the season. It's the second straight postseason that Antetokounmpo has missed time due to an injury.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Giannis Antetokounmpo makes promise to Milwaukee Bucks fans