The Milwaukee Bucks will be holding their breath for the health of their superstar.
The injury occurred only minutes into the first quarter. After a bucket from AJ Green on an assist from Antetokounmpo, the Greek superstar began jogging back down the floor and suddenly went down to the floor, grabbing at his right leg.
He stayed down on the floor for some time, gesturing towards the affected area.
The Bucks called a timeout and Antetokounmpo returned to the team’s locker room. He was able to walk off on his own.
Antetokounmpo was playing his fourth game since returning from a left adductor strain that caused him to miss four games.
One of the best players in the NBA over the last decade with two MVP awards to his name, Antetokounmpo has remained dominant into his 13th season. The 31-year-old came into Wednesday’s game averaging 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, one steal and one block while shooting 63.9 per cent from the field.
However, he also came into Wednesday’s game as a big name on the rumour mill after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he and his agent were set to meet with the Bucks to discuss his future with the team.
Though head coach Doc Rivers disputed the claims before the game, saying that “Giannis has never asked to be traded — ever. I can’t make that more clear,” with the Bucks sitting at 9-13 and 11th in the East, the superstar’s future was the topic of much speculation.
Antetokounmpo has spent his entire career in Milwaukee after being drafted by the team 15th overall in 2013.
The 30-year-old’s Bucks tenure peaked when he led the franchise to the 2021 title — its first in 50 years. But Milwaukee has won just one playoff series since. It has been eliminated in the first round in three consecutive seasons.
Antetokounmpo has never played fewer than 61 games in a season and has never suffered a long-term injury. However, the long seasons have gotten the best of him in recent years once the playoffs roll around.
He sat out Games 4 and 5 of the 2023 first-round series against the Miami Heat with a back injury and missed all six games of the 2024 first-round series against the Indiana Pacers with a soleus (calf) issue.
— With files from the Associated Press
