MILWAUKEE (AP) — An NBA investigation into the dispute between the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding the two-time MVP’s injury status is ongoing.
The NBA issued a statement offering an update on the investigation Saturday, a day after Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic that he’s healthy and he wants to play.
Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since leaving a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers after landing
awkwardly on a dunk. The Bucks released an injury report Saturday ruling him out for Sunday’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, which will mark the 11th straight game he has missed.
“The NBA’s Player Participation Policy investigation into the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo is ongoing and certain facts remain in dispute,” an NBA spokesman said. “The investigation has found that the Bucks scheduled Giannis to work out last week in three-on-three scrimmages as part of his return-to-play process, but he declined to participate. There is a disagreement as to whether the team requested that Giannis participate in a group workout earlier this week, and the league is continuing to monitor the situation.”
ESPN first reported that an investigation was taking place.
Since that Indiana game, the Bucks have ruled Antetokounmpo out due to left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise. Antetokounmpo has been participating in pregame warmups lately with no apparent limits.
“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told reporters before the Bucks’ 133-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”
The Bucks were eliminated from postseason contention on March 28, snapping their string of nine straight playoff appearances.
Sunday will mark the career-high 42nd game Antetokounmpo has missed this season. He had two extended absences earlier this season due to right calf strains. He also sat out four games early this season with a left adductor strain.
The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo says he’s feeling better now and wants to get back on the floor. He has played his entire 13-year career with Milwaukee, which selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Given his long history with the team, Antetokounmpo said the Bucks should have known he wouldn’t want to be shut down for the season just because their playoff hopes have vanished.
“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said Friday. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”
This dispute comes amid much speculation regarding Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after Monday’s game that he wishes this disagreement had been kept between the two parties. Rivers added that “this is a grown man’s game, and it should be handled that way by everybody.”
“I just don’t like that this is so public,” Rivers said. “This is where grown men get in a room and they talk it out. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this should not be public, and I don’t like that.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
