In the midst of the Bucks’ Friday night contest against the Celtics, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the NBA is investigating the team for “their handling of the player participating policy and potential inconsistent statements regarding the health of Giannis Antetokounmpo.” Shams added that the Bucks and Giannis have given conflicting accounts of his health.
“Milwaukee informed the NBA that it doesn’t believe Giannis is ready and actually wants to play; Giannis informed the NBA he wants to play but
the team will not medically clear him, sources said.”
Giannis addressed the situation with local reporters before the game and gave some rather revealing statements. Outside of fully endorsing the investigation and his frustrations with not playing, he gave some very candid thoughts on how things have transpired:
“You know who you are dealing with, so for somebody to come and tell me to not play or not to compete, it’s like a slap in my face. So, I don’t know where the relationship goes from there.”
“I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”
As far as how this has played out behind the scenes, according to Giannis, he had an initial conversation with head coach Doc Rivers and general manager Jon Horst. He let both of them know he wanted to play, but that was the last conversation they had, and no one has approached him since. He also slapped down any notion that he doesn’t want to play again next season, citing his wish to play with his younger brother, Alex Antetokounmpo:
“I’ve heard somebody say that, ‘Oh, he says that he wants to play, but he doesn’t really want to play. First of all, I don’t know who gives you information like that… you’d be an idiot to have an opportunity to play with your brother that you’re eight years older than him.
“When I played my first NBA game, he was 11 years old. When my dad passed, I pretty much raised him. He’s able to be on the team and suit up and chase an opportunity to be great. And you really think that I don’t want to suit up and play with my brother? Anybody that thinks that is an idiot.”
Before anyone goes into a full-blown panic, worrying that this will push a potential divide between Giannis and the Bucks, he insisted that this latest disagreement does not necessarily mean the two sides are heading toward a divorce:
“We gotta go into couples therapy… sit down, you know, tell their side, I’m going to tell my side and find a solution. Amicably, right? That’s the word. Find a solution together.”
We’ll have to wait and see what the NBA comes up with regarding this investigation, or whether the findings will come in time for Giannis to suit up again this season, but it’s clear whatever is going on has rubbed him the wrong way:
“I’ve been here 13 years and I understand the team gets eliminated from the playoffs, be smart. Taking care of your body, being in and out, just to be careful, to prepare for the next season, prepare for the next generation and the young players to get some minutes, go out there—I get that. But that wasn’t the time that this took place. That’s what bothers me. It’s almost like you waved the white flag and I don’t do that. I am sorry. I don’t. And I never, never will.”
