Giannis not playing basketball during lockdown

Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MANILA, Philippines — The NBA has been suspended indefinitely due to COVID-19 and with all of its players inside their homes their respective teams still want them to remain active and as much as possible engage in basketball activities.

There’s one person, however, who’s not dribbled and dunked one bit and that’s reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In a report from ESPN, Antetokounmpo said he’s been doing that needs to be done in his household while also maintaining an active lifestyle but it’s play basketball that’s been inaccessible to him.

“I don’t have access to hoop,” said Antetokounmpo in the report. “A lot of NBA players have a court in their house or something, but now I just get home workouts.”

“I ride the bike, treadmill, lift weights, and pretty much stay sharp that way, but I don’t play basketball.”

This is a new reality to Antetokounmpo who absolutely relishes playing the sport, as written in Lee Jenkins’ piece for Sports Illustrated in 2017 wherein the Milwaukee Bucks star would skip the showers after a bad home loss and head straight to the team’s practice facility to release his frustrations.

Antetokounmpo’s All-Star teammate Khris Middleton has the same dilemma.

“Since the practice facility is closed down, I don’t have any access to a basketball goal unless I go to one of my neighbors’ house to shoot outside,” said Middleton. “It’s really no basketball for me. Basically, like Giannis said, it’s the treadmill, the jump rope, some weights and that’s it. I have a couple of basketballs I can just dribble in my house or outside but no actual goal to go shoot on.”

The Bucks hold a league-best 53-12 record and the team still operates as if the NBA is still in session.

According to the report, head coach Mike Budenholzer and general manager Jon Horst keep tabs on their players to ensure that each and every one are working out and are keeping themselves healthy during quarantine.

The players are also required to interact with director of performance Troy Flanagan.

“Obviously, they give us bands, a bike,” said Antetokounmpo. “They provide us with workouts that we can do at home and also provide us with food. They have a catering company that brings us food for us and our families in the house.”

“We’re supposed to stay home, do our workouts, take care of our bodies at home, and that’s pretty much it,” added Antetokounmpo.

JPV