Antetokounmpo said he won’t sign a contract extension with the Bucks this summer, despite being eligible to get one, as it “numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense.” The Bucs could offer Antetokounmpo a three-year, $173 million extension, in late September, but he can get an even more lucrative deal if he waits until next summer.

Still, even if the numbers sound right next summer, Antetokounmpo isn’t guaranteeing he’ll ink the deal.

“Next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said. “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks won an NBA title in 2021, but it wasn’t the start of the dominant run that many believed it would be. Milwaukee only got to the second round the next year and then was eliminated by the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

After a disappointing two campaigns, the Bucks decided to fire head coach Mike Budenholzer and replace him with Toronto Raptors’ assistant Adrian Griffin.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Doesn’t Know If He’ll Sign an Extension with the Bucks appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Bucks’ new head coach Adrian Griffin confirmed the news about Antetokounmpo’s procedure in a chat with reporters on Wednesday.

“He had a routine surgery on his left knee, and it went great,” said Griffin. “Everything went as planned, and we expect him back and ready to go in training camp.”

Antetokounmpo reportedly started feeling discomfort in his left knee early in the offseason and had some tests done. The 28-year-old and the team ended up deciding that the surgery is the best available option.

 Antetokounmpo dealt with left knee issues during the season as well, missing a number of games with knee soreness. He ended up playing 63 games in 2022-23, averaging career-high 31.1 points to go with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

While the surgery isn’t expected to have an impact on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability for the Bucks, it represents a big blow for the Greece national basketball team. Antetokounmpo was expected to lead the team at the upcoming FIBA World Cup, but his status for the tournament is now in question. 

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Had Knee Surgery, Expected to Return for Training Camp appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer stated following the loss that Antetokounmpo underwent an X-ray that shed light on the nature of his injury.

With 1:46 remaining in the first quarter, the Bucks star played fell to the floor hard after being charged by Heat forward Kevin Love. Following a second foul, Antetokounmpo checked out of the game, heading to the locker room and returning with tape around his lower back.

Antetokounmpo returned to play in the second quarter, visibly appearing to struggle due to his back injury. Once Milwaukee took a delay of game violation at the 8:33 mark in the quarter, Antetokounmpo checked out of the game for good.

“He just wasn’t moving [well],” Budenholzer said. “Didn’t look comfortable, confident. It felt like the right thing. We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly, what Giannis says.”

Budenholzer added that the team would have to wait and see how the star man wakes up on Monday before deciding how to proceed.

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Exits Heat Game After Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Milwaukee remains unsure as to how the two-time NBA MVP actually incurred the injury. After working the post late in the first quarter, Antetokounmpo passed the ball before signaling to the bench to come off the court. With Mike Budenholzer calling a rare mid-possession timeout, Antetokounmpo headed straight for the locker room.

“He was basically asking out,” Budenholzer stated. “Fortunately we had the ball. I don’t think we know exactly when he knocked knees.” Prior to clocking out of the game, Antetokounmpo scored four points while racking up four rebounds and four assists.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s absence, the Bucks held on to defeat the Miami Heat, thereby extending their winning streak to 13 games.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Exits With Knee Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Following his injury, Antetokounmpo seemed to be an injury doubt for the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night, during which he was set to be captain of the Eastern Conference team. He appeared in 20 seconds of his team’s 184-175 victory against Team LeBron before going off with the same injury.

Antetokounmpo was subsequently replaced by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo before Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday came on during the second half of the contest.

“Taking it day by day, try to get healthy,” Antetokounmpo commented following his exit from the All-Star game. “You know, obviously I had the incident three days ago. I don’t think it’s smart in any way to … play a lot of minutes in the All-Star Game.”

After starting the All-Star game, Antetokounmpo caught the ball on the baseline, netted a basket, and committed an intentional foul to check himself out of the game.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Set to Undergo Further Tests on Wrist appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with the reporters during recent Bucks’ media say, Antetokounmpo said that he doesn’t believe he is the best in the world at the moment. Instead, he thinks that the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry should receive this honor because he led his team to a championship.

“I think the best player in the world is the person that is the last man standing,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s the person that takes his team to the Finals, the finish line, and helps them win the game. … that’s how I view it. I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry.”

The Top 100 panel wasn’t as high on Curry as Antetokounmpo, voting the Warriors’ superstar as the fifth-best player in the world. In front of Curry were also Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets).

Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks win an NBA title in 2020-21 but couldn’t carry them over the finishing line this past season. Despite Antetokounmpo delivering a playoff performance for the ages that saw him average 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game, Milwaukee was eliminated in the second round by the Boston Celtics.

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo:” The Best Player In The World is Steph Curry.” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“He had discomfort in his knee but nothing major,” Itoudis confirmed. “We did not want to risk anything so we did not dress him up today.” Prior to the game against Great Britain, Antetokounmpo played a pivotal role in leading Greece to hard-fought victories over Italy and Croatia to all but secure the team’s place in the knockout phase of the tournament, setting up a perfect 3-0 group phase record in the process.

Itoudis stated that Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the court in time for Greece’s clash with Ukraine on Tuesday. This fixture should provide the Greek squad with ample preparation ahead of the knockout rounds on Saturday, especially since Ukraine is top of Group C due to also maintaining a perfect start to the competition.

In Antetokounmpo’s absence, Kostas Papanikolaou and Michail Lountzis emerged as Greece’s key players against the UK, scoring 10 points each.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Misses EuroBasket Game, Citing Knee Pain appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jokic followed his MVP season in 2020-21 with an even better campaign that saw him put career numbers in points (27.1), rebounds (13.8), and shooting percentage (58.3). The only thing that might steer the voters elsewhere is the fact that his Nuggets finished 6th in the Western Conference.

Embiid, who was Jokic’s biggest rival last year, already took home the scoring title by averaging 30.6 points in 68 games this season. He also had 11.7 boards and 4.2 assists while the 76ers took the fourth seed in the East.

Finally, Antetokounmpo is looking to win his third MVP award in four years. He also had monster numbers that included 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists this season while being regarded as the best defender out of the three finalists. The “Greek Freak” is on the most successful team since the Bucks finished No. 3 in the Eastern Conference.

The NBA also revealed the finalists for other regular-season awards. The Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley are the finalists for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. On the other hand, the Defensive Player of the Year award will go to Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), or Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics).

Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies), and Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs) are finalists for the Most Improved Player award. At the same time, Tyler Herro (Miami Heat), Cam Johnson (Phoenix Suns), and Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers) are candidates for Sixth Man of the Year.

Finally, Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies), Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), and Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) are the finalists for the Head Coach of the Year award.

The post Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo Revealed as NBA MVP Finalists appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“Are we satisfied? I’m not satisfied. I’m not even close to being satisfied,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about winning his first NBA ring.

According to Antetokounmpo, he is also looking to make other Milwaukee players adopt the same mindset.

“That’s the tone we got to set as a team,” he added. “As the leader of this team, that’s the tone I’m going to set. We understand that teams are coming for us, but we’re going to be ready.”

Antetokounmpo finished the regular 2020-21 season averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and a career-high 5.9 assists. He followed that up with an even more remarkable playoffs performance that saw him putting up 30.2 points and 12.8 boards en route to an NBA title and NBA Finals MVP.

But despite all his previous success, Antetokounmpo believes he has a lot more coming for him if he manages to elevate his game to another level.

“Right now, what I want is to get better,” he explained. “I don’t care about trophies. I don’t care about the MVPs. I don’t care about Defensive Player of the Years. All those things, I don’t care. I care about getting better because if I do that more things are coming.”

The post Giannis on Winning NBA Title: “I’m Not Even Close to Being Satisfied” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Despite playing with a hyperextended knee injury, which he picked up in the East finals against the Atlanta Hawks, Antetokounmpo was a force that the Suns couldn’t stop for the better part of the series. The 26-year-old Greek dominated the paint while anchoring the Bucks defense that managed to quiet down Phoenix’s dynamic backcourt duo of Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

Even the struggles at the free-throw line, which were accompanied by countdowns from opposing fans, didn’t slow Antetokounmpo down. He didn’t shy away from getting to the line repeatedly until the shots started to fall down. This happened when he needed it the most, making 17 out of his 19 free throw attempts in Game 6.

“People told me I can’t make free throws, and I made them tonight. And I’m a freaking champion,” said Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo finished the series with 35.2 points, 13.2 boards, 5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game, delivering one of the most memorable performances in the finals. By winning the NBA Finals MVP Award, he became just the third player in NBA history with a regular-season MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and NBA Finals Award. The other two are Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.

“Eight years ago, eight and a half years ago, when I came to the league, I didn’t know where my next meal will come from. My mom was selling stuff in the street,” said Antetokounmpo at the press conference. “Now I’m here sitting at the top of the top. I’m extremely blessed. I’m extremely blessed. If I never have a chance to sit on this table ever again, I’m fine with it. I’m fine with it. I hope this can give everybody around the world hope. I want them to believe in their dreams.”

It wouldn’t be surprising, however, if Giannis Antetokounmpo finds himself at the same table once again. He is entering his prime years and is entering the first year of a 5-year, $228 million extension he signed with Milwaukee late last year. Antetokounmpo will also have the majority of his teammates alongside him in the next few years, and this title might be just one of many to come for “Greek Freak” and the Bucks.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Scores 50 Points to Lead Bucks to an NBA Title appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Antetokounmpo said he won’t sign a contract extension with the Bucks this summer, despite being eligible to get one, as it “numbers-wise it doesn’t make sense.” The Bucs could offer Antetokounmpo a three-year, $173 million extension, in late September, but he can get an even more lucrative deal if he waits until next summer.

Still, even if the numbers sound right next summer, Antetokounmpo isn’t guaranteeing he’ll ink the deal.

“Next summer it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said. “I would not be the best version of myself if I don’t know that everybody’s on the same page, everybody’s going for a championship, everybody’s going to sacrifice time away from their family like I do. And if I don’t feel that, I’m not signing.”

Antetokounmpo and the Bucks won an NBA title in 2021, but it wasn’t the start of the dominant run that many believed it would be. Milwaukee only got to the second round the next year and then was eliminated by the No. 8-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

After a disappointing two campaigns, the Bucks decided to fire head coach Mike Budenholzer and replace him with Toronto Raptors’ assistant Adrian Griffin.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Doesn’t Know If He’ll Sign an Extension with the Bucks appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Bucks’ new head coach Adrian Griffin confirmed the news about Antetokounmpo’s procedure in a chat with reporters on Wednesday.

“He had a routine surgery on his left knee, and it went great,” said Griffin. “Everything went as planned, and we expect him back and ready to go in training camp.”

Antetokounmpo reportedly started feeling discomfort in his left knee early in the offseason and had some tests done. The 28-year-old and the team ended up deciding that the surgery is the best available option.

 Antetokounmpo dealt with left knee issues during the season as well, missing a number of games with knee soreness. He ended up playing 63 games in 2022-23, averaging career-high 31.1 points to go with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

While the surgery isn’t expected to have an impact on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s availability for the Bucks, it represents a big blow for the Greece national basketball team. Antetokounmpo was expected to lead the team at the upcoming FIBA World Cup, but his status for the tournament is now in question. 

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Had Knee Surgery, Expected to Return for Training Camp appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer stated following the loss that Antetokounmpo underwent an X-ray that shed light on the nature of his injury.

With 1:46 remaining in the first quarter, the Bucks star played fell to the floor hard after being charged by Heat forward Kevin Love. Following a second foul, Antetokounmpo checked out of the game, heading to the locker room and returning with tape around his lower back.

Antetokounmpo returned to play in the second quarter, visibly appearing to struggle due to his back injury. Once Milwaukee took a delay of game violation at the 8:33 mark in the quarter, Antetokounmpo checked out of the game for good.

“He just wasn’t moving [well],” Budenholzer said. “Didn’t look comfortable, confident. It felt like the right thing. We have to wait and see what the doctors say, most importantly, what Giannis says.”

Budenholzer added that the team would have to wait and see how the star man wakes up on Monday before deciding how to proceed.

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Exits Heat Game After Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Milwaukee remains unsure as to how the two-time NBA MVP actually incurred the injury. After working the post late in the first quarter, Antetokounmpo passed the ball before signaling to the bench to come off the court. With Mike Budenholzer calling a rare mid-possession timeout, Antetokounmpo headed straight for the locker room.

“He was basically asking out,” Budenholzer stated. “Fortunately we had the ball. I don’t think we know exactly when he knocked knees.” Prior to clocking out of the game, Antetokounmpo scored four points while racking up four rebounds and four assists.

Despite Antetokounmpo’s absence, the Bucks held on to defeat the Miami Heat, thereby extending their winning streak to 13 games.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Exits With Knee Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Following his injury, Antetokounmpo seemed to be an injury doubt for the NBA All-Star game on Sunday night, during which he was set to be captain of the Eastern Conference team. He appeared in 20 seconds of his team’s 184-175 victory against Team LeBron before going off with the same injury.

Antetokounmpo was subsequently replaced by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo before Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday came on during the second half of the contest.

“Taking it day by day, try to get healthy,” Antetokounmpo commented following his exit from the All-Star game. “You know, obviously I had the incident three days ago. I don’t think it’s smart in any way to … play a lot of minutes in the All-Star Game.”

After starting the All-Star game, Antetokounmpo caught the ball on the baseline, netted a basket, and committed an intentional foul to check himself out of the game.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Set to Undergo Further Tests on Wrist appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Speaking with the reporters during recent Bucks’ media say, Antetokounmpo said that he doesn’t believe he is the best in the world at the moment. Instead, he thinks that the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry should receive this honor because he led his team to a championship.

“I think the best player in the world is the person that is the last man standing,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s the person that takes his team to the Finals, the finish line, and helps them win the game. … that’s how I view it. I believe the best player in the world is Steph Curry.”

The Top 100 panel wasn’t as high on Curry as Antetokounmpo, voting the Warriors’ superstar as the fifth-best player in the world. In front of Curry were also Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets).

Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks win an NBA title in 2020-21 but couldn’t carry them over the finishing line this past season. Despite Antetokounmpo delivering a playoff performance for the ages that saw him average 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game, Milwaukee was eliminated in the second round by the Boston Celtics.

The post Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo:” The Best Player In The World is Steph Curry.” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“He had discomfort in his knee but nothing major,” Itoudis confirmed. “We did not want to risk anything so we did not dress him up today.” Prior to the game against Great Britain, Antetokounmpo played a pivotal role in leading Greece to hard-fought victories over Italy and Croatia to all but secure the team’s place in the knockout phase of the tournament, setting up a perfect 3-0 group phase record in the process.

Itoudis stated that Antetokounmpo is expected to return to the court in time for Greece’s clash with Ukraine on Tuesday. This fixture should provide the Greek squad with ample preparation ahead of the knockout rounds on Saturday, especially since Ukraine is top of Group C due to also maintaining a perfect start to the competition.

In Antetokounmpo’s absence, Kostas Papanikolaou and Michail Lountzis emerged as Greece’s key players against the UK, scoring 10 points each.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Misses EuroBasket Game, Citing Knee Pain appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Jokic followed his MVP season in 2020-21 with an even better campaign that saw him put career numbers in points (27.1), rebounds (13.8), and shooting percentage (58.3). The only thing that might steer the voters elsewhere is the fact that his Nuggets finished 6th in the Western Conference.

Embiid, who was Jokic’s biggest rival last year, already took home the scoring title by averaging 30.6 points in 68 games this season. He also had 11.7 boards and 4.2 assists while the 76ers took the fourth seed in the East.

Finally, Antetokounmpo is looking to win his third MVP award in four years. He also had monster numbers that included 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists this season while being regarded as the best defender out of the three finalists. The “Greek Freak” is on the most successful team since the Bucks finished No. 3 in the Eastern Conference.

The NBA also revealed the finalists for other regular-season awards. The Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes, the Detroit Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley are the finalists for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. On the other hand, the Defensive Player of the Year award will go to Mikal Bridges (Phoenix Suns), Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), or Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics).

Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies), and Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs) are finalists for the Most Improved Player award. At the same time, Tyler Herro (Miami Heat), Cam Johnson (Phoenix Suns), and Kevin Love (Cleveland Cavaliers) are candidates for Sixth Man of the Year.

Finally, Taylor Jenkins (Memphis Grizzlies), Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat), and Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) are the finalists for the Head Coach of the Year award.

The post Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo Revealed as NBA MVP Finalists appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“Are we satisfied? I’m not satisfied. I’m not even close to being satisfied,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about winning his first NBA ring.

According to Antetokounmpo, he is also looking to make other Milwaukee players adopt the same mindset.

“That’s the tone we got to set as a team,” he added. “As the leader of this team, that’s the tone I’m going to set. We understand that teams are coming for us, but we’re going to be ready.”

Antetokounmpo finished the regular 2020-21 season averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and a career-high 5.9 assists. He followed that up with an even more remarkable playoffs performance that saw him putting up 30.2 points and 12.8 boards en route to an NBA title and NBA Finals MVP.

But despite all his previous success, Antetokounmpo believes he has a lot more coming for him if he manages to elevate his game to another level.

“Right now, what I want is to get better,” he explained. “I don’t care about trophies. I don’t care about the MVPs. I don’t care about Defensive Player of the Years. All those things, I don’t care. I care about getting better because if I do that more things are coming.”

The post Giannis on Winning NBA Title: “I’m Not Even Close to Being Satisfied” appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Despite playing with a hyperextended knee injury, which he picked up in the East finals against the Atlanta Hawks, Antetokounmpo was a force that the Suns couldn’t stop for the better part of the series. The 26-year-old Greek dominated the paint while anchoring the Bucks defense that managed to quiet down Phoenix’s dynamic backcourt duo of Devin Booker and Chris Paul.

Even the struggles at the free-throw line, which were accompanied by countdowns from opposing fans, didn’t slow Antetokounmpo down. He didn’t shy away from getting to the line repeatedly until the shots started to fall down. This happened when he needed it the most, making 17 out of his 19 free throw attempts in Game 6.

“People told me I can’t make free throws, and I made them tonight. And I’m a freaking champion,” said Antetokounmpo.

Antetokounmpo finished the series with 35.2 points, 13.2 boards, 5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game, delivering one of the most memorable performances in the finals. By winning the NBA Finals MVP Award, he became just the third player in NBA history with a regular-season MVP Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and NBA Finals Award. The other two are Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.

“Eight years ago, eight and a half years ago, when I came to the league, I didn’t know where my next meal will come from. My mom was selling stuff in the street,” said Antetokounmpo at the press conference. “Now I’m here sitting at the top of the top. I’m extremely blessed. I’m extremely blessed. If I never have a chance to sit on this table ever again, I’m fine with it. I’m fine with it. I hope this can give everybody around the world hope. I want them to believe in their dreams.”

It wouldn’t be surprising, however, if Giannis Antetokounmpo finds himself at the same table once again. He is entering his prime years and is entering the first year of a 5-year, $228 million extension he signed with Milwaukee late last year. Antetokounmpo will also have the majority of his teammates alongside him in the next few years, and this title might be just one of many to come for “Greek Freak” and the Bucks.

The post Giannis Antetokounmpo Scores 50 Points to Lead Bucks to an NBA Title appeared first on yoursportspot.com.