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Giannis Antetokounmpo exploded Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, insisting that he is healthy enough to play but that the team is keeping him on the bench.
Antetokounmpo was on the bench for the 10th straight game as the team took on the Boston Celtics. The team said the NBA star suffered a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise. He hasn’t played since March 15, but 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 player say, my caliber of player is like – I say this publicly – I want to play. You know what I’m saying?” he said via The Athletic. “I don’t think I saw that. So if there’s going to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we find something.”
He insisted he was “available to play.”
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers responded to Antetokounmpo’s comments following the team’s 133-101 loss to the Celtics.
“The hardest part about this is I’m in the middle and I had 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 sitting in front. And we have to sit here and answer these questions. I think there are two sides to this question, I’ll 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 become “public.”
“This is where grown men walk into a room and talk about it. Whether they agree with it or not, it doesn’t matter. But it shouldn’t be public, and I don’t like that.”
Injured Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo talks with an official 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 faced the Indiana Pacers. But a string of losses mathematically eliminated them from the playoffs.
Multiple reports have indicated that the NBA has launched an investigation into the Bucks’ handling of Antetokounmpo’s status. The Bucks told the league they don’t think he’s ready to play, ESPN reported Friday.
The situation also caught 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 field,” the union said in a statement. “Unfortunately, anti-tank policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer until ownership is controlled. We look forward to working with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and deter 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 Greek Freak’s” name has also been mentioned in trade rumors over the last year. The team ultimately kept him and he will be eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth $275 million 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 has made it clear that he doesn’t know where his relationship with the franchise is going.
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“We need to go to couples therapy.”
