Milwaukee Bucks star and two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had left knee surgery recently, new head coach Adrian Griffin announced on Wednesday.
“He had a routine surgery on his left knee, and it went great,” Griffin told reporters on Wednesday. “Everything went as planned, and we expect him back and ready to go in training camp.”
As you can see, there’s certainly good news on this front. Milwaukee expects the Greek Freak to be back to 100% by training camp in September.
However, this procedure likely means that Antetokounmpo will not take part in the FIBA World Cup in Philippines. The tournament is slated to begin on Aug. 25.
Milwaukee is coming off a disappointing end to the 2022-23 season. The team finished with an NBA-best 58-24 record, only to lose to the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in historic fashion in the first round of the playoffs. It led to the firing of Mike Budenholzer and eventual hiring of the aforementioned Griffin. Giannis played a role in the decision-making process behind the scenes.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo stats (2022-23): 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 55.3% FG
The 28-year-old Antetokounmpo remains one of the best all-around players in the Association. In addition to two NBA MVP awards, he’s won an NBA Finals MVP and has earned seven consecutive All-Star appearances.
The Bucks need their franchise cornerstone to be 100% healthy in order to compete for a title next season. They are seemingly going all in after re-signing Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez while adding the likes of Malik Beasley during NBA free agency.