By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
At the end of a disappointing 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed his future with the Milwaukee Bucks, expressing deep frustration over a perceived lack of control regarding his health and the team’s trajectory.
Despite being medically cleared by his own estimation, the star forward was sidelined for the final stretch of a disappointing 32-win season. “I thought I had control, kind of like, ‘If I’m healthy, I’m going to play,’” he said during a postgame media session following Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Xfinity Mobile Arena. “But this shows me that we, not just me, players in general, don’t have any control. We’ve gotta do what we’ve been told. To answer your question, no, I didn’t feel like I had control at all.”
The late-season tension centered on a discrepancy regarding his availability. “I was being cleared to play. I don’t understand,” he noted, refuting claims that he had skipped practices. “I have never in my life denied participation in practice. Whoever says that, I don’t know who said that, who came up with that, that’s disrespectful towards what I’ve done for this team. I did what I was supposed to do. I wasn’t able to come to the court. Who has that say? It probably comes from above. It probably comes from maybe the front office or the owners.”
When asked if the franchise is still in a position to contend, the Greek Freak was blunt about the team’s current standing. “We were very bad. We are the furthest away that we’ve been in the last couple of years,” he admitted. “I didn’t think we were going to be in this position last year, so I don’t know what position we’re going to be next year. If everything goes well, hopefully, if the Bucks want me here, why not? But if they don’t, OK.”
The uncertainty extends to his looming contract eligibility in October. While a supermax extension may be on the horizon, Antetokounmpo insisted that winning takes precedence over the financial windfall. “Money doesn’t mean anything to me. Zero. Absolutely zero. What means something to me is winning,” he said.
He remained non-committal about signing a new deal, noting that a formal offer has yet to be made. “That’s too far away. It’s something I gotta sit down, see, talk with my family, see what’s best for me and what’s best for my career. If that’s the best scenario, I will definitely want to do that. But before we even talk about an extension, somebody’s gotta offer me that.”
The 31-year-old point forward stressed that any path forward would require better communication from the front office. “It has to go both ways. It cannot go one way,” he said, comparing the professional necessity to his personal life. “Even when we argue, we try to figure out a way for us to move forward and try to find a solution for that specific moment. You don’t let things linger.”
As the Greek superstar enters an unusually long offseason, his focus shifts toward physical recovery and isolation from the inevitable trade rumors. “Phone on do not disturb. Working hard every single day to improve my game, be in the best physical shape that I can be, and just stay away from it, all of it,” he explained.
Reflecting on a career-low 36 games played, he remained defiant in the face of adversity. “You’re going to have a down year. You’re going to have an up year. It is how you respond to it. You can fall, crumble, whine about it, and cry about it, but that’s not who I am. The only other choice I have is to put my head down, get better, work out, and dive deep into my craft.”