Giannis Talks Injuries, Aims to Get Bucks 'Out of the F--king 1st Round' of Playoffs

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has already accomplished so much in his NBA career, but he still has found new ways to challenge himself as he enters the 2024-25 season.

"This year, a challenge for me is to be healthy," Antetokounmpo told Sam Amick of The Athletic. "A challenge for me is to play in the playoffs, to get out of the f--king first round. Assert myself even more."

The Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round in each of the last two seasons. However, Antetokounmpo missed a combined eight out of 11 games in those series against the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, respectively, due to back and calf injuries.

Antetokounmpo appeared in 73 games last season, his first time playing in more than 70 games since the 2018-19 campaign. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit him in the calf late in the year and ruined Milwaukee's chances of contending for an NBA championship that would've been the second title of the 29-year-old's career.

Antetokounmpo was able to return to action in the Paris Olympics while representing Greece, and he said working with Greek national team head coach Vassilis Spanoulis helped motivate him for the upcoming NBA season.

"He would just push me and push me and push me and push me, (saying) 'You've got more to give. Come on. When I was 29, I was the best in Europe. I had back-to-back (championships). What are you doing?' All this conversation made me realize that I crave the challenge again," Antetokounmpo said. "Of course, it pisses you off, but it puts you in the mood where you're like, 'Wait, I'm going to show you.' You don't want to let (Spanoulis) down. Like (with the Bucks), I don't want to let Doc Rivers down. I don't want to let [Damian Lillard] down. I don't want to let my team down.

The two-time NBA MVP will turn 30 in December, so he added that he wants to take advantage of his prime and make sure he puts the league on notice that he's still one of the best players on the planet.

"Every year for me is important because one day, I'm going to be 35 or 36 or 38 and I'm going to be like, 'Oh, my prime just went, and I wasn't able to do something.' So dominate," Antetokounmpo said.