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Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded at the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, insisting that he is healthy enough to play, but the team is keeping him on the bench.
Antetokounmpo was benched for the 10th straight game as the team faced the Boston Celtics. The team has said the NBA star has been dealing with hyperextension of his left knee and a bone bruise. He has not played since March 15, but has warmed up with the team without showing obvious signs of injury.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on January 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“I’ve never seen a case where a player says, my caliber of player, that’s like, I say it publicly, I want to 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 find out something.”
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 hard thing about all of this is that I’m in the middle and I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “The coaches don’t decide any of this. The problem with our league is that the coaches are the ones who sit in front. And we have to sit here and respond to these things. I think there are two sides to this, I’ll tell you, but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”
Rivers added that he didn’t like that the dispute had become “public.”
“This is where grown men walk into a room and talk. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this shouldn’t be public, and I don’t like that.”
Injured Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo speaks with a referee during the first half of an NBA game against the Boston Celtics in Milwaukee on April 3, 2026. (Aaron Gash/AP)
The Bucks were still in contention on March 15 when they played the Indiana Pacers. But a series of losses left 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 don’t believe he’s ready to play, ESPN reported Friday.
The situation also came to 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 significant 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 were able to win a championship in 2021.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo talks with Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd before an NBA game in Milwaukee on March 31, 2026. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP)
The name “The Greek Freak” has also been mentioned in trade rumors over the past year. The team ultimately retained 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 decides not to re-sign him, or the Bucks could end up trading him after all.
Antetokounmpo made it clear that he wasn’t sure where his relationship with the franchise goes from here.
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“We have to go to couples therapy.”
