MILWAUKEE — After a whole day of trade rumorsthere are more pressing concerns about the future Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo after he went down with a non-contact injury a minute into the team's 113-109 win. Detroit Pistons on Wednesday evening. The Bucks announced that Antetokounmpo suffered a sprained right calf and did not return to the game.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers did not provide an update on Antetokounmpo's condition after the game but said he believed medical staff had “ruled out” an Achilles injury.
“He's getting an MRI now so hopefully we'll know more by the end [Wednesday night]Rivers said. – I didn't know what it was. I just wanted the coaches to keep an eye on him. As soon as he was brought in, he was taken to the hospital.”
Less than three minutes into the first quarter, Antetokounmpo drove down the baseline and found the cut. AJ Green for easy styling. As he turned to run up the floor, he suddenly fell and immediately waved his hand to the bench for help. He remained sitting on the floor until Kevin Porter Junior broke the rules and stopped the game.
Antetokounmpo was then helped to his feet and was able to leave the court under his own power. He initially sat on the bench but later headed to the locker room. Footage from the Bucks broadcast shows him walking through the tunnel on his own, but moving very slowly.
Bobby Portis told reporters that Antetokounmpo was monitoring the action from the hospital and contacted his teammates immediately after the final buzzer.
“What's amazing is that Giannis was the first one to say in the team group message, 'Well done guys, way to get this.' I haven’t spoken to him personally, but in a group message, yes,” Portis said. “He was the first one to send us a message congratulating us on our victory. I hope he feels better, feels good. I haven't seen the video yet, so I don't know what it looked like or how bad it was. I pray for him, I always do, and I hope everything is okay.”
It's too early to say how long Antetokounmpo might be sidelined, but his initial reaction was alarming. He will need to undergo examination to fully assess the injury and establish a time frame. Still, it's a major blow for a Bucks team that, despite Wednesday's surprise win, is still just 2-5 without its two-time MVP this season and has fallen to 10th place in the Eastern Conference at 10-13.
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Antetokounmpo missed a game nearly two weeks earlier this season with a left groin strain. He already had problems with his calves. In 2024, he pulled the soleus muscle in his left calf just before the end of the regular season and missed the team's entire first-round playoff series against Indiana Pacerswhich they lost in six games. He missed the All-Star Game last season and missed nearly three weeks with a left calf strain.
Entering Wednesday, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists on 63.9% shooting. He was fourth in the league in scoring, fifth in rebounding and seventh in field goal percentage, and for the fourth straight season he averaged 30/10/5 (every other player in NBA There are a total of eight such seasons in history).
Antetokounmpo was on his way to his 10th straight All-Star Game appearance and eighth straight All-NBA First Team honors. An extended absence could jeopardize both of those streaks. Given the new 65-game threshold for major awards, Antetokounmpo will not be eligible for awards like MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA if he misses another 12 games.
Before Wednesday's game, ESPN reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent were discussing his future with the Bucks. A resolution is reportedly expected in the coming weeks, but the injury could derail any potential trade talks.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers denied reports that Antetokounmpo has asked to leave Milwaukee.
“Giannis never asked for a trade. Never. I couldn't put it any clearer,” Rivers said before Wednesday's game.
“All I keep saying is that I'm going to That source. I'm talking to That source every day. Every day. He loves Milwaukee and the Bucks,” Rivers continued. “I heard the guys say that they talked to sources. I talked to That source. If I’ve learned something in life, the source usually knows it.”
