NBA probe Milwaukee Bucks’ handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo: Reports
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (right) of the Milwaukee Bucks sitting on the bench during the 133-101 NBA defeat by the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum on April 3, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
PHOTO: AFP
LOS ANGELES – Giannis Antetokounmpo maintains he is healthy enough to play. The Milwaukee Bucks say he is hurt, and have kept him off the court for the past 10 games.
The dispute is on the radar of the National Basketball Association (NBA), which is investigating the situation, The Athletic and ESPN reported on April 3.
Before the Bucks lost 133-101 on April 3 to the visiting Boston Celtics, Antetokounmpo said, “I’m available to play, but I’m not in the game. I’m available to play today. Right now.
“I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”
Antetokounmpo last played on March 15, when he suffered hyperextension on his left knee and a bone bruise in Milwaukee’s victory over the Indiana Pacers.
The team are sticking to their assertion that the 31-year-old still is not ready to return.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said following the April 3 game: “The tough part of all this is I’m in the middle and I have nothing to do with it. Coaches don’t decide any of this but the problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front.
“We have to sit here and answer this stuff. And I think there are two sides to this. But I don’t want to get too involved in it.”
The National Basketball Players Association (NPBA) called out the Bucks on March 31 for their handling of the two-time league Most Valuable Player.
“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 its statement.
“Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.”
Rivers said on April 1 in response to the NBPA’s statement: “He’s just not healthy. He’s progressing. We’re just trying to get Giannis clear and healthy.”
Milwaukee have lost eight of the past 10 games without Antetokounmpo, falling to 30-47 on the season and out of contention for the post-season.
The Bucks have the 10th-worst record in the NBA, which would give them a 3 per cent chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Forward Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists through 36 games this season. Through 13 NBA seasons, the 10-time All-Star has averages of 24.1 points, 9.9 boards and 5.0 assists.
There was bad news for another All-Star as Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic will miss the rest of the regular season with a left hamstring strain, the team said on April 3.
He “has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out for the remainder of the regular season”, the Lakers, who have five games left in the regular season, said in a statement.
ESPN reported that the Slovenian, who leads the league in scoring, is “uncertain” for the play-offs.
Meanwhile, on April 3, the Orlando Magic withstood a spectacular 51-point performance from Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg in a 138-127 victory over the Mavericks.
The 19-year-old became the first teenager to record a 50-point game in the NBA. He joined Michael Jordan as the only rookies to post multiple games of 45 or more points in their rookie seasons. REUTERS, AFP
