The Greek Freak wasn’t 100 percent going the All-Star break and he thinks he knows why. Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke after playing in the All-Star Game in Los Angeles and said he’s experiencing knee pain he attributes to overuse.
The Milwaukee Bucks superstar has had some amazing moments this season, but even at 23 years old he’s weary at the All-Star Break due to the intense amount of minutes he’s logged this season. Antetokounmpo has played 1,962 minutes this season, the 16th most in the league, but on a per game average his 37 minutes per game is second only to Jimmy Butler (who sat out the All-Star Game to get some needed rest).
Antetokounmpo gave an interview to Eurohoops’ Varlas Nikos and said he’s experiencing pain in his right knee, which is being caused by too much playing and not enough rest. SLAM pointed out the interview and did the Greek translation work here for Giannis’ quotes about his knee issues, which start at the 1:48 mark of the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V32xOUP2VaA
What do doctors say?
Giannis: “The problem is that I play too much.”
There’s no other issue?
Giannis: “No, it’s just that I have to rest more. This summer I had no time to rest. After the playoffs, I went straight to the gym. I went to see Kostas and practiced for about a week and a half with him.
“I didn’t have any rest. And that’s how the situation deteriorated. After this season, I will have time to rest.”
Antetokounmpo said that he’s proven to be healthier when given some time off, though he’s trying to play through pain for his team and his teammates.
“I had time to rest and when I was back, I was in better shape,” he said according to the translation. “They know I’m in pain. When I play for 40 minutes every night, they say, ‘How is he in pain? He can play.’”
It’s pretty clear that the Bucks’ star would like to have some more time off, which is something the league has been trying to temper if players aren’t injured, or at the least some more time on the bench during games. Hopefully the Bucks can oblige that request and get him right for the postseason, because a fully healthy Antetokounmpo is not something any team in the East will want to battle in a series.
