During an interview with NBA reporter Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo said he’s “tired” of the team feeling bad for themselves.
The Bucks are 35-21. They are in third place in the Eastern Conference standings.
However, the team is only 3-7 under Doc Rivers, who took over for Adrian Griffin.
“Personally, I have to keep on pushing,” Antetokounmpo said. “If I have to talk more in the film sessions like I’ve been doing all year, if I have to f—ing grab the f—ing board and write something down — if I don’t, I don’t know — but you cannot just let opportunities like this go to waste.
“I feel like I don’t want to look back and be like, ‘Damn, I had some great teams and I wasn’t able to get over the hump.’ We have to stop feeling bad about ourselves. I’m tired of this. We have to stop doing that. Things are not going to be given to us. We have to go and take it. Like I’ve played with guys that never felt bad about themselves. Came in, did their job, went home, did their job, went home, did their job. That’s what we have to do. We’re not doing it right now, but hopefully we can do it.”
The Bucks fired Griffin despite being 30-13 under him. One source told Hoops Wire that Milwaukee’s front office fired Griffin because of how poor the defense was.
Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks this season while shooting 61.6% from the floor, 25.5% from beyond the arc and 65.3% from the free-throw line. The two-time champion has 43 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles.
The Bucks are second in the NBA in points per game (122.0) and 23rd in points per game allowed (118.8). They lost to the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies before the All-Star break.
“It’s been hard because so many changes, so many injuries, so, so many things,” Antetokounmpo said. “A lot of things, up and down. Changes, as I said, game plan, structure, all of the BS. We can start from f—— ownership, changed. Coach, changed. Coach, changed again. Star players, changed. From Khris being in and out. Like so much f—— s—. It’s just up and down. Up and down. So many things changing, man. But we got to stay together, I don’t like to victimize myself. I don’t like to feel bad about myself. That’s not who I am.”
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