The saga between Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks took another turn on April 4 when an NBA spokesperson told the Journal Sentinel, “certain facts remain in dispute.”
According to the league, its investigation determined that the Bucks scheduled Antetokounmpo to go through a three-on-three scrimmage the week of March 23 but Antetokounmpo declined to participate.
There is an ongoing disagreement between the parties over whether the team asked Antetokounmpo to participate in a group workout the week of March 30.
When he spoke publicly for the first time about his situation on April 3, Antetokounmpo said he welcomed an investigation into his availability and said, in part, “You guys have seen me warming up. You guys see me working out. I’ve played. I’ve played with the team. I’ve played one-on-one. I’ve practiced. I’ve done pretty much everything.”
Antetokounmpo, along with several members of the organization, were interviewed by the league the week of March 30. This followed a statement from the National Basketball Players Association on March 24 that the league enforce its player participation policy and a statement from NBA commissioner Adam Silver that the league would look into the matter.
Antetokounmpo has said the team wanted to shut him down for the season following his knee injury on March 15, but he has steadfastly refused to do so and maintains he’s been healthy enough to play.
“I’ve had the conversation with coach Doc [Rivers] the possibility of shutting me down; I had the conversation with [general manager] Jon [Horst] also,” he told the Journal Sentinel.
Following the game against the Celtics on April 3, Rivers said he was unaware of a league investigation and bemoaned the public nature of this dispute between the team and the player.
“Again, I wouldn’t know any of that,” Rivers said. “That’s the point I’m trying to make. The league, they’re not gonna call me about this. They know I have no decision-making in this. And if they have decided to start talking to us, this is the first I’ve heard it. So, I don’t even know that. Nor should I, nor should I, but I just don’t like that this is so public. And it shouldn’t be. This is where grown men get in a room and they talk it out. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this should not be in public. And I don’t like that.”
The NBA spokesperson said the investigation is ongoing and “the league is continuing to monitor the situation.”
Including the Bucks’ game against Memphis on April 5, the team had five games remaining in the regular season. The season concludes on April 12 in Philadelphia.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NBA finds certain facts are ‘dispute’ in spat between Bucks, Giannis
Reporting by Jim Owczarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
