Written by Shams Sharaniya, Joe Vardon, and Eric Nehm
League sources have confirmed that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetekounmo recently underwent surgery to clean the soft cartilage in his left knee, and his status with Greece in the FIBA World Cup is in question. the athlete.
Antetokounmpo, 28, a two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Champion with the Bucks, has appeared in 63 games during the regular season — an average over the past several years as he periodically rests and recovers from minor injuries.
More importantly, he suffered a back injury in Game 1 of Milwaukee’s first-round playoff series that kept him until Game 4, and the Bucks were upset in five games by the Miami Heat. He had a minor knee injury that cost him a game during the regular season.
The action raises serious questions about whether Giannis will be able to play for his native country Greece in the World Cup, which begins on August 25 in the Philippines. Greece is in the same group with the USA team and is also set to play the Americans on August 18 in Abu Dhabi in an exhibition for both teams.
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“When it comes to the health of our players, we always work collaboratively with the player, his representative, and our performance staff to make the best decision possible,” said Bucks general manager John Hurst. the athlete. “In the case of playing for the national team, we are working with our partners in those federations as well. No decision has been taken as to whether Giannis will be with the Greek national team this summer.”
Giannis played for Greece at the 2019 World Cup in China, and again last summer as part of EuroBasket. previously said the athlete His aim was to lead Greece to the World Cup title, and he said he believed there was enough talent in the roster to do so.
Greek Outlet Gazette First reported news from treatment.
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How anxious must Pax be?
Antetokounmpo is clearly the most important player for the Bucks and any action or injury will cause maximum anxiety, but doing a cleanup during the offseason should limit those concerns because these types of actions tend to be relatively routine.
For now, it appears to be business as usual as Antetokounmpo is currently in China to support his Nike sponsorship and there is still hope that he will be able to play for the Greek national team at the World Cup in August. If Antetokounmpo is unable to play in the World Cup, that will still give him time to recover before the Bucks begin their training camp at the end of September. – Takes
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(Photo: Jeff Burke/USA Today)