TheMilwaukee Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for a while, as he deals with a calf injury he suffered during a recent game against the Denver Nuggets.
It is a concerning lower-body issue, with the two-time NBA Most Valuable Player initially declaring that he will be out for around four to six weeks.
Bucks coach Rivers speaks up on load management debate involving Antetokounmpo
Given his importance to Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo’s usage even in the offseason has become a debate, one thatMilwaukee head coach Doc Rivers was asked about on Monday.
“Yeah you’re not stopping that. It’s a good debate, but you’re not going to win the debate,” Rivers responded (h/t Bucks Lead).
In a follow-up question, Rivers was asked if there should be load management rules in place to protect Antetokounmpo.
“Well we do it in the summer. [Giannis] doesn’t play in the summer on back-to-backs. He had a minute restriction all summer, which frustrated him,” the NBA champion head coach said.
“In the summertime, yeah we always have a minute restriction for him, until the last two games where he goes out and plays. We do that all summer. Even practice restriction as far as amount of time, loads on the floor during the summertime, so we have a guy there full time with him. And I gotta assume every other team does too with their guys. But how do you tell a guy not to play for his country? That’s not going to happen ever. Especially in Giannis’ case. He’s the hero of Greece. And so he almost has to play.”
"There's always this debate whether or not [Giannis] should be playing in the summer. But the fact is all international players—"
Doc: "Yeah you're not stopping that. It's a good debate, but you're not going to win the debate."
"Shouldn't there be rules for load management to… pic.twitter.com/zaRiIEUafL
— Bucks Lead (@BucksLead) January 26, 2026
What is not up for debate is that Antetokounmpo will not see action for several games, as he continues to heal up from his latest injury.
So far in the 2025-26 NBA season, Antetokounmpo, who’s been a subject of seemingly endless trade rumors, is averaging 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
Mar 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers speaks to Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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