Bucks News: Giannis Antetokounmpo Has One Focus On His Mind Prior to the 2024-25 Season

Ricardo Klein | 22 Hours Ago

Apr 9, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) calls a play in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are slightly over two weeks away from the start of their 2024-25 season. The Bucks enter this season as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and will have a tough hill to climb. 

The East is no longer a weak link like it has been. Milwaukee will need to come out hot from the start, which will fall on superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo will need to be his superstar self for the Bucks to be legitimate contenders this season. 

Antetokounmpo has already established himself as one of the best payers in the league. He has nothing left to prove but that he is still at the top of his game. 

The 29-year-old superstar spoke during media day and said he has one thing on his mind for the upcoming season. 

"Me personally, I'm trying to focus on myself as much as I can, focus on my team," said Antetokounmpo. "Focus on my body, try to stay healthy. I'm just going to start with that: I really don't pay attention or let my mind travel to different places that I cannot control. I try to stay right here, and the most important thing for me is to stay healthy and to be available, so that's all I think about right now."

Staying healthy and taking care of his body is the only thing that should matter to Antetokounmpo. It's been a rough handful of seasons for the Greek star, especially when the games start to matter in April. 

These past two seasons, Antetokounmpo has been hampered by injuries. In 2023, Antetokounmpo played in only nine quarters of the team's first-round exit against the No. 8 seed Miami Heat.

This past season, he wasn't on the court for the last 432 minutes of his team's season. Towards the end of the season, he didn't play due to a straining left calf, and it hurt the Bucks' chances of winning their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks lost in six games. 

Antetokounmpo was not the only Buck to struggle with injuries; so did the other two best players on the team, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton. Lillard had an Achilles issue, and Middleton had ankle injuries. 

It was tough sledding for Milwaukee, but the hope is they remain healthy, especially when it matters most. 

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