During a recent interview, he emphasized the importance of becoming a leader, even in adversity. “The most important thing, and now I’m not a coach, but I am, as you said, the head of the snake. So when a guy at the end of the bench is like,’ Hey man, I can do that, man, I should be getting more minutes, man, like, hey, man, it’s we and they’, like it’s separating the tea. So it’s very, very important as a leader, as a coach, to the end of the bench, the 15th guy, the 12th guy has to be positive, because if that guy is positive, it translates all the way to the front.
I think it’s important. And I think in winning teams, everybody knows the roles is clear. They know the roles. They know when they get the opportunity, you know they have to be ready, but also they don’t disrupt the rhythm and the energy of the team. So these are the two red flags: when a guy pulls a young player or any player with him, and the other one is when the guy that doesn’t play, because it’s going to be an adjustment.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo was very clear with his message that championship teams don’t exist in an environment where players use ‘me’ over ‘we’ mindset. To prove his point further, the 32-year-old recalled old Bucks teammate Bryn Forbes and current teammate Bobby Portis for sacrificing individual glory and adjusting to the team’s needs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo on why high-character teammates matter to winning teams:
“The most important thing and now I’m not a coach but I am as you said the head of the snake. So when a guy at the end of the bench is like hey man like I can do that man I should be getting more… pic.twitter.com/Twwmn6lsGL
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) April 2, 2026
It’s from their 2021 championship run where Forbes played 20 minutes or more in Game 2, 3, and 4 against the Miami Heat in Round 1 and had 22, 11, and 22 points, respectively. But in the conference semifinals against Brooklyn, his minutes decreased. Similarly, Portis did not start against the Nets, and his combined score for the conference semifinals was just 12 points.
Yet in the ECF against the Hawks, he earned his minutes and ended up starting the last 2 game of the series and dropped 22 and 12 points respectively as the Bucks sealed the series 4-2. So, probably this mindset is missing with the current roster of the Bucks, which Giannis needs the head coach to look into. Even if there is no divide, the 30-46 record and no place in the playoffs don’t reflect well on the Bucks.
Doc Rivers on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury
But Giannis Antetokounmpo has now missed nine straight games, with the latest coming on Wednesday. On Sunday, Bucks coach Doc Rivers told reporters that Antetokounmpo was “not healthy yet.” But, for Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics, the Greek Freak is a game-time decision. Even if he plays, the Bucks will be shorthanded.
In the recent loss to the Rockets, Milwaukee was able to suit up only eight players. In Antetokounmpo’s absence, the Bucks continue to free-fall and are nowhere near even the final play-in spot.
