Giannis Antetokounmpo developed a reputation for making rapid returns from injury during his rise to superstardom, but the Milwaukee Bucks forward acknowledges those days may be drawing to a close.
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An unexpected birth now brings hopeWhat to know before asking an AI chatbot for health adviceExperts talk how to navigate distressing news stories and finding coping mechanismsYoung woman says she was on social media 'all day long' as a child in landmark addiction trialHegseth warns Anthropic to let the military use the company’s AI tech as it sees fit, AP sources sayVatican removes salty white film coating Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment'Presidente de Cuba insta a hacer cambios al modelo económico y empresarial de la isla An unexpected birth now brings hopeWhat to know before asking an AI chatbot for health adviceExperts talk how to navigate distressing news stories and finding coping mechanismsYoung woman says she was on social media 'all day long' as a child in landmark addiction trialHegseth warns Anthropic to let the military use the company’s AI tech as it sees fit, AP sources sayVatican removes salty white film coating Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment'Presidente de Cuba insta a hacer cambios al modelo económico y empresarial de la islaMilwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Monday, March 2, 2026, in Milwaukee. MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo developed a reputation for making rapid returns from injury during his rise to superstardom, but the Milwaukee Bucks forward acknowledges those days may be drawing to a close.on Jan. 23. The two-time MVP has missed a career-high 29 games this season, 23 of those with calf injuries. That’s a new experience for Antetokounmpo, who had grown accustomed to returning earlier than expected from injuries. “I’ve just got to be smarter moving forward, because things that I was able to do in the past maybe I’m not able to do now,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’ve just got to be more methodical with my rehab.” During Milwaukee’s 2021 playoff run, Antetokounmpo missed just two games with a hyperextended left knee and went on to earn“I’m not old, but I’m older, for sure,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m not 24 years old anymore. I’m 31.” Antetokounmpo missed eight games with a right calf strain in December, came back and then strained his calf again. Calf issues also caused him to miss Milwaukee’s 2024 first-round playoff loss to Indiana. “When you’re dealing with soft-tissue issues, it’s hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’ve dealt with knee pain in the past. It’s totally different. If you’re not able to take care of your soft-tissue injuries, they can linger. I think that’s what happened this year. I feel like I’ve been playing the whole year with a deficit.”Milwaukee is 15-16 with Antetokounmpo and 11-18 without him as the Bucks are facing increasingly long odds in their bid for a 10th straight playoff berth. The Bucks are 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, 3 1/2 games behind 10th-place Charlotte. The teams that finish seventh through 10th compete in a tournament for the East’s two final playoff spots. Milwaukee went 8-2 without Antetokounmpo from Feb. 3-25 but has lost its last three games by a combined 79 points. Bucks coach Doc Rivers altered his rotation Monday by giving Ousmane Dieng his second start of the season and not playing Kyle Kuzma. Forward Bobby Portis referred to Milwaukee’s 8-2 stretch as “fool’s gold,” pointing out that many of those wins came against teams with losing records. “Obviously a lot of ground we have to cover to get into a play-in situation, a playoff situation,” Portis said. “New waters for us, new uncharted waters for us. Really not used to being in this situation, but I just think … staying together is big. So many ways different guys can go. You can start thinking about yourself. You can start thinking about summer, whatever it is.”In October, Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million. He otherwise could become a free agent at the end of next season. Although Antetokounmpo repeatedly has discussed how much he loves playing in Milwaukee, he also has prioritized wanting to play on a team that’s committed to competing for championships. The Bucks have lost in the first round of the playoffs each of the last three seasons. Now they’ll have their hands full getting to the postseason at all. In the meantime, Antetokounmpo will have his minutes restricted while he works toward full health and gets accustomed to playing with Dieng and Cam Thomas. “I’m just happy that I’m on the court,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t matter if I play 18 minutes, 20 minutes, 22, whatever, I’m just happy that I’m out there. I’m just in a mindset where I try not to take nothing for granted.”Megargee is a Wisconsin-based sportswriter whose assignments include the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and MLB’s Milwaukee Brewers along with the University of Wisconsin and Marquette.
Bobby Portis Ousmane Dieng Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics NBA Massachusetts WI State Wire Wisconsin NBA Basketball Sports Doc Rivers Cameron Thomas Athlete Injuries Addiction And Treatment Kyle Kuzma
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