Giannis: Co-owner’s comments ‘slap in my face’ amid Bucks tension, NBA probe

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo said he felt disrespected by recent comments from co-owner Wes Edens regarding his contract situation, according to Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“For me, it’s like a slap in my face,” Antetokounmpo said.

Edens recently told ESPN that the franchise would not allow Antetokounmpo to enter the final year of his deal without either extending him or trading him.

Antetokounmpo said he first learned of those remarks when they were published.

“It says a lot …” he said.

The two-time MVP emphasized his loyalty to Milwaukee, while also expressing frustration with how the situation has been handled publicly.

“Especially [as] somebody that has been this loyal, and I’ve showed appreciation, to the team, to the community, to the fans, to everybody that I’ve worked with, you know?” Antetokounmpo said. “And that’s almost, like, a slap in my face.”

At the same time, Antetokounmpo made it clear he prefers internal matters to remain private.

“I’m here, I committed, I’m wearing the jersey, and it is disrespectful to my teammates, to my coaching staff, to the people that I go and sweat with, and go to war with, to say, ‘I don’t want to be here’ − and I will never do that,” Antetokounmpo told the Journal Sentinel.

“Now, what goes on in private rooms? It’s not my job, it’s not my responsibility, and it should not − in no shape or form − be shared in public. I believe in etiquette. I believe in human etiquette, I believe in basketball etiquette. So with my owners, I have addressed what I feel and what I believe the situation is.

“Same with my GM, same with my coaches.

“And for me, that [Edens] comment was a slap [in] the face. But, it’s my boss. So I just gotta keep on moving forward.”

The situation comes amid a growing disconnect between Antetokounmpo and the organization.

“Nobody,” he said when asked about trust within the front office. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to nobody.”

Meanwhile, the NBA continues to investigate the Bucks over potential player participation policy violations tied to Antetokounmpo’s injury status. The team has maintained he is not ready to play, while Antetokounmpo has repeatedly stated otherwise.

Head coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the tension.

“I just want everybody to be on the same side,” Rivers said. “We gotta figure out how to put good people on the same page and it stays inside.”