Speaking to the media on Saturday at All-Star weekend, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gave an update on his right calf strain, which has prevented him from playing since January 23.
“I feel good. I feel 100 percent, to be honest with you,” Antetokounmpo said (Twitter video link via the Bucks). “ … When you come back from an injury and you go through the rehab, you gotta check the boxes, right? So I gotta do things.
“I feel like the break doesn’t help, because now I gotta get on the court, I gotta play some 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5 vs. 5. Players are on vacation right now, so it’s kinda hard for me to do that.
“So once I check all those boxes, I’m ready to go. I feel like I can play a game today.”
Head coach Doc Rivers recently suggested Antetokounmpo was close to returning from the right calf strain, which the two-time MVP has injured multiple times this season. He was sidelined for eight games in December due a right soleus (calf) strain and strained his right calf again in the Jan. 23 loss to Denver, causing him to miss Milwaukee’s last nine contests.
Antetokounmpo was named to his 10th straight All-Star game last month but he won’t compete in Sunday’s event due to the injury. Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox was selected as his replacement.
While he continued his long streak of All-Star nods, Antetokounmpo is ineligible for major postseason awards after missing extended time. He has made nine consecutive All-NBA teams — including seven straight on the first team — but that streak will end in 2025/26.
The Bucks and Antetokounmpo will likely revisit their discussions about his future in the offseason after no trade materialized ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
To anyone still arguing the Bucks want Giannis to stay – stuff like “not making players available for him to 1v1/3v3/5v5 with him during the all star game break, which is not even a union break, they all just do this when the team could easily make them go to a training facility and practice” gotta really ram this point home.
These are all multi-millionaires on contracts, at that money (if healthy) they should be available to hoop on 24 hours notice, anytime anyplace.
All star break is suppose to be you know a break, for everyone.
What’s the point of running 1v1 3v3 5v5 when you have an entire week off and aren’t prepping for any actual games? Do you know what the purpose of 1v1 3v3 5v5 are? Simulate actual in game experiences.
“We as the Bucs demand you come play 1v1 3v3 5v5 with Giannis for absolutely no reason as there currently no scheduled games. Don’t rest that sore knee hamstring ankle shoulder come practice for 8 hours for no reason! So decrees the Bucs!”
Players are high level athletes, playing a competitive game. The All-star break is an opportunity to give them rest for the stretch run without impacting games. Any team trying to win would take that opportunity to do so.
Also, basketball players get paid what they do because A.) they collectively bargain, and B.) very few can do what they do at that level. Treating them in the manner you suggest would make you an unattractive employer for quality players.
Did you not read the article? Giannis is the franchise. He needs to be healthy and game ready for them to contend. YES in normal cases players could take time off, but if you are Giannis and the Bucks, you absolutely do all you can to try and get him game-ready. So what now? You lose the games you could have won if Giannis was healthy, just so Bobby Portis can go to Hawaii? Great tactics!! Totally not loser crap!!!
What if the Bucks DID put Giannis first, and called a series of practices during the All-Star break? Would you say “this is bad”? Hell no, you would say “Bucks doing all they can to maximize their season”.
Get him ready for what exactly lmao there are no games to get ready for. It’s all star break.
You know why no team ever is gonna set up scrimmages during all star break…….What if Giannis aggravates his injury doing 1v1 3v3 5v5 drills or gets a new injury? Then doing all that was pointless
What if any other players nursing injuries get hurt? Then what? Non contact injuries happen all the time in the nba.
Not worth the risk having Giannis or any player doing 1v1 3v3 5v5 and getting injured during a break from games
Play then
What is this loser talking about “They won’t make players available for Giannis to play 1-on-1″… It’s a break. Everyone is entitled to the break. You can’t force the players to hang around the gym because someone wants to play 1’s. Some of y’all say the stupidest sh*t.
Fire Doc Rivers
It’s the All Star break…. Players deserve a break. They are with family and friends. ….. Bucks aren’t going anywhere this year …. Where should Giannis go ??
Trade at the Draft ——
Thunder — Chet (13.7 mill), JWill (6.6 mill), IHart (28.5 mill), Clippers 2026 #1 pick, two future 2nd rd picks.
Spurs — D Harper (12.4 mill), K Johnson (17.5 mill), H Barnes (19 mill), Hawks 2026 #1 pick, Hawks 2027 #1 pick
Bucks can trade IHart or Barnes to a third team.
Warriors have the best offer to the Bucks. Giannis will fold.
There isn’t a player on the Warriors. Who the Bucks would want even if it was Steph. Bucks move Giannis it’s for a full rebuild. Not to get older lol. Nobody has better deals than Spurs and Thunder. Even the Heat and Hawks have more to offer than Warriors. It’s KP or bust .
In this offseason Bucks will recalibrate and wont want players, they want picks first and foremost. Moody and/or Podz will be enough. Spurs and Thunder have already clearly stated they do not want Giannis (maybe they are both clearing that space for Joker if he hits the market?). Heat wont move Bam for Giannis. Hawks are a trainwreck of a franchise that will never win. GSW is still closer to making the Finals than the Hawks.
Giannis to GSW makes all the sense in the world…
Bucks don’t want all picks. They want good young players who are ready now. Like Chet or Harper. With the few players they have. They will be a good young team. A good young core to build around. That’s not easy to get Davey. Look at Bulls now.
Giannis trade value at the deadline > Giannis trade value in the offseason
Giannis to Dubs only makes sense if you dont know ball or if your brain rotted so bad with all the fanta- delusional basketball youve been taking in.
@KnickAl
Bucks would make the 1st trade but OKC wouldn’t.
Spurs might make the 2nd trade but the Bucks wouldn’t.
I likeK Johnson a lot. He should be starting. Not happening in SA.
Guarantee that if it was Jordan he would have found plenty of people to keep working out. Funny how the more these pro athletes make the less they do to get the prize. Whether it’s basketball, football or baseball.