Sports
NBA won’t take further action over Bucks sitting Giannis Antetokounmpo late in season
The NBA’s investigation into the Milwaukee Bucks regarding the health status of Giannis Antetokounmpo at the end of the 2025-26 season has concluded, and the league has determined no further action is warranted, a league source confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN was first to report.
Antetokounmpo, 31, missed the final 15 games of the 2025-26 season following a left knee hyperextension on an awkward landing after a dunk during the third quarter of a March 15 win over the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks had different opinions regarding the 10-time All-Star forward’s ability to play. The NBA opened an investigation into the matter on April 4.
The monthlong saga between player and team started in the immediate aftermath of Antetokounmpo’s knee hyperextension. Before the Bucks’ game on March 17, then-head coach Doc Rivers told reporters Antetokounmpo’s MRI came back clean.
“The good news was it was a really good image, so there was no damage. Nothing,” Rivers said. “It was really just good news. But I don’t know the next part (about a timeline for his return).”
Despite that seemingly positive news from Rivers, the Bucks listed Antetokounmpo as out with a bone bruise stemming from his knee hyperextension.
On March 18, The Athletic was first to report that Antetokounmpo rebuffed the Bucks’ suggestion to shut him down for the remainder of the season. With the Bucks not yet eliminated from playoff contention, Antetokounmpo wanted to get back on the floor. Despite that desire, the Bucks continued to list Antetokounmpo as out and insisted that he was not medically cleared to play.
One week later, the National Basketball Players Association released a statement asserting that Antetokounmpo was healthy and the Bucks were forcing him to sit as a tanking ploy to improve their position in the 2026 NBA Draft. In response to the NBPA’s statement and a question about Antetokounmpo following the Board of Governors meeting the next day, commissioner Adam Silver told reporters that the league would look into the situation.
“I’m available to play, but I’m not in the game,” Antetokounmpo told Milwaukee’s beat reporters on April 3. “I’m available to play today. Right now. I’m available. Do I look like I’m not available? … I don’t know what game is being played right here, I just don’t wanna be a part of it.”
The Bucks insisted that Antetokounmpo was not healthy, but the league confirmed its investigation on April 4 by stating that “certain facts remain in dispute,” including what Antetokounmpo had or had not been willing to do to get back on the court.
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Sports
Uefa Nations League: How do smaller countries deal with extended international window?
While Europe’s bigger nations have their own in-house resources, countries like Northern Ireland share staff with clubs, which can bring its own challenges in an extended window.
“We don’t carry full-time doctors, full-time physios and full-time sports scientists,” O’Neill added.
“Other countries are the same, but all our staff work at clubs and we need agreement from the clubs.
“That’s a challenge to be able to staff it properly and keep the level of professionalism.
“The big countries don’t have that, they have full-time staff and an army of staff to be able to do these things.”
O’Neill also has to consider how much to rotate this squad. It’s a fine balance between keeping key players fresh, but also how much exposure to give his young squad.
Of the 26-man squad, 17 of the players are aged 25 or under and only three – Josh Magennis (36), Paddy McNair (31) and Dion Charles (30) – are over the age of 30.
Arsenal’s Ceadach O’Neill, Everton’s Braiden Graham and Kieran Morrison, who is on loan at Sheffield Wednesday from Liverpool, are the three teenagers in the squad.
“I don’t want to put too many young players on the pitch in a game like that where they’re untried and untested at that level,” O’Neill said.
“We want to bring the younger players in to give them the best chance to be able to do well and to build their confidence and to build their reputation. That’s the challenge for us.”
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Sports
Manchester City have become 'Sham FC'. They deserve the heaviest punishment
Nine years of wrongdoing – as laid out in the independent commission’s damning judgment – disfigured English football
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Sports
MLB Wild Card Series results: Scores, highlights and playoff takeaways from Day 1
The first day of MLB’s postseason opened with a battle between the Braves and Phillies and ended with the Cubs and Padres.
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