Report: Bucks’ Antetokounmpo refusing to be shut down for season


Despite requests from his team, Giannis Antetokounmpo doesn’t appear interested in not playing again this season.

The Milwaukee Bucks want to shut down the Greek superstar for the rest of the campaign, but Antetokounmpo has refused the team’s requests and wants to play again, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday

“There have been multiple meetings over Antetokounmpo’s status in the last 24 hours since his hyperextended knee diagnosis, and a disagreement has ensued between the sides on whether it is best for him to return,” Charania wrote.

The two-time MVP suffered a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise in Sunday’s 134-123 win over the Indiana Pacers after landing awkwardly when he dunked late in the third quarter.

With the Bucks’ chances for a 10th straight playoff berth looking increasingly unlikely, head coach Doc Rivers was asked when the risks of Antetokounmpo getting hurt outweigh the potential reward of putting him back on the floor.

“That’s a good question,” Rivers said. “I don’t have the answer, but it’s a very good question.”

The Bucks sit 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 28-40 record, and are 6.5 games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the final spot in the NBA’s play-in tournament.