Giannis Antetokounmpo explains why he is hurt by sitting out

Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up about his frustration with the Milwaukee Bucks in a new interview, explaining why he is so bothered that the team wants to sit him out for the rest of the season.

Antetokounmpo admitted that he has had a difficult season professionally in part because his wife and children spent part of it in Greece to shield them from ongoing speculation about his future. Family is also part of the reason he wants to play so badly, as brothers Thanasis and Alex are getting more regular run on the tanking Bucks.

“Do you think I don’t want to play a basketball game with my little brother?” Antetokounmpo told Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Antetokounmpo added that he is hurt by the notion that he is comfortable sitting out games he is otherwise capable of playing in. That seemingly undermines a claim from the Bucks that he declined to participate in scrimmages, which is being used as evidence to back him not being cleared yet.

The Bucks are being investigated by the NBA over why Antetokounmpo is not playing, with the team arguing that he is not medically cleared to do so. Antetokounmpo has said the Bucks are the ones not clearing him, and he is reaffirming that stance publicly. At this point, it’s hard to see the two sides ever getting on the same page again.