Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo re-aggravated a prior calf injury that will likely keep him out for weeks, the possibility that the 2021 Finals MVP has played his last game for the Milwaukee Bucks, now 18-26 on the season and 2.5 games behind the 10th seed in the East, is seemingly growing.
Most NBA players, no matter how successful, are out of the league before the end of their 30s, or even their 20s. That leaves a lot of life left to live, and a good handful of players have made the most of their professional lives after leaving the court.
The Milwaukee Bucks are going through a difficult period as questions grow around Giannis Antetokounmpo’s leadership. Losses, trade rumors, and injuries have added pressure, especially after Giannis revealed a right calf strain that could sideline him four to six weeks.
With the February 5 trade deadline approaching, Bill Simmons tossed out a bold scenario that would dramatically alter the NBA landscape, suggesting a blockbuster deal that swaps Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks’ downturn continued last night, as they lost 102-100 at home to the very shorthanded Denver Nuggets, going winless against them this season. The game was certainly a weird one, with Denver getting up 23 points in the third quarter, and then all but relinquishing that lead in the fourth after a rabid Milwaukee comeback.
Injuries continue to bite NBA stars in a significant way this season. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest big-name player slated to miss a significant amount of time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely headed for a multi-week absence, and that now puts his All-Star appearance in doubt. Antetokounmpo said on Friday he expects to miss four to six weeks with a right calf injury, a timeline that would force him to sit out the NBA All-Star Game.
Sometimes a trade in the NBA comes out of nowhere, like last year when the Lakers and Mavs shocked the world with the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis deal. Other times, the ‘will they, won’t they’ gets dragged out interminably, until it reaches a point where everyone just wants it to happen so we can all move on with our lives.
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers did not have a timetable on Wednesday for when guard Kevin Porter Jr., who is battling a strained oblique, will rejoin the lineup.