Giannis Antetokounmpo will spend most of his offseason nursing an injury.
Not only was the Bucks star limited in the 2023 NBA Playoffs due to a back injury, but he has reportedly undergone a procedure on his knee.
Antetokounmpo is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-best 31.1 points per game to go along with 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists. The Bucks finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA but fell to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bucks are mostly running it back, reportedly reaching agreements with Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez in free agency.
Will Antetokounmpo be cleared for the start of the 2023-24 season? Here's what you need to know about his injury and status moving forward.
What is Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury?
On July 5, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Antetokounmpo underwent a "cleanup procedure on his knee" two weeks ago, putting his status for the 2023 FIBA World Cup in question.
Antetokounmpo appeared in 63 of a possible 82 games in the 2022-23 regular season. He missed five straight games in the middle of January with left knee soreness. He then left a game in late February with a right knee injury and was sidelined for the subsequent game with a right quad contusion.
As noted by Frank Madden of Locked on Bucks, Antetokounmpo has a history of soreness in both of his knees. He also hyperextended his left knee in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, costing him two games.
Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin said Antetokounmpo underwent a procedure on his left knee. Antetokounmpo was recently seen wearing a sleeve on his left leg.
Just Like the good old days! A Ball, a hoop and some sun ☀️☺️ pic.twitter.com/yYoHlTaaCr
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) July 4, 2023
How long will Giannis Antetokounmpo be out?
It's unclear how long Antetokounmpo will be sidelined following his procedure.
Charania reported that Antetokounmpo is "uncertain" for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which will take place between Aug. 25 and Sept. 10. Training camp for the 2023-24 season opens on Sept. 23 for NBA teams participating in preseason games outside of North America. Training camp opens for every other team on Sept. 27.
NBA preseason will run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 14. The regular season will start on Oct. 18.
Giannis Antetokounmpo career stats
- 22.6 points per game
- 9.6 rebounds per game
- 4.7 assists per game
- 1.3 blocks per game
- 1.1 steals per game
- 3.0 turnovers per game
- 53.7 percent field goal shooting
- 28.7 percent 3-point shooting
- 70.8 percent free throw shooting
