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Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded on the Milwaukee Bucks Friday, insisting he’s healthy enough to play, but the team keeps him on the bench.
Antetokounmpo was benched for the 10th straight game as the team took on the Boston Celtics.
The team has said the NBA star has been dealing with a left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise. He hasn’t played since March 15 but has warmed up with the team without exhibiting any obvious signs of injury.
“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like — I’m saying it publicly — I want to f—ing play. You know what I’m saying?” he said, via The Athletic. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”
He insisted he was “available to play.”
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers addressed Antetokounmpo’s comments after the team’s 133-101 loss to the Celtics.
“The tough part about all this is that I’m in the middle, and I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. The problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front.
“And we have to sit here and answer this stuff. I think there are two sides to this — I will tell you that — but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”
Rivers added that he didn’t like that the feud had gone “public.”
“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.”
The Bucks were still in contention March 15 when they played the Indiana Pacers. But a string of losses had them mathematically eliminated from the postseason.
Multiple reports indicated that the NBA launched an investigation into the Bucks’ handling of Antetokounmpo’s status. The Bucks told the league they do not believe he’s ready to play, ESPN reported Friday.
The situation also drew the attention of the National Basketball Players Association last month.
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“The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,” the union said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”
Antetokounmpo has been one of the most dominant players in the league in recent years and was the main reason the Bucks won a championship in 2021.
“The Greek Freak’s” name has also been mentioned in trade rumors over the last year. The team kept him, and he will be eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million contract extension in October.
He could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season if the team chooses not to re-sign him, or the Bucks could end up trading him after all.
Antetokounmpo made clear he was unsure where his relationship with the franchise goes from here.
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“We’ve got to go to couples therapy,” he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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