Antetokounmpo has faith in safety protocols
Coaches are wearing masks. Training tables are set far apart. One player must leave the court before his teammate can come in and shoot.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has found the limits of shooting and lifting weights at the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center for the last couple of weeks to be really weird.
But he has no reservations about resuming the season just outside Orlando, Florida, later this
month, despite the continued spread of coronavirus, and an increase of cases from the pandemic that initially shut down his NBA season on March 11.
While a handful of NBA and major league baseball players have opted not to return to play in 2020, Antetokounmpo is on board – and Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he didn't expect any other the other members of the team to sit out, either.
“Everybody has concerns about their health; you know, nobody wants to put themselves in risk out there,” said Antetokounmpo Wednesday afternoon during a video-only press conference with reporters.
“My job is to play basketball and go out there and support my teammates and represent the city. But, for sure, I think me, my teammates, my family, especially my mom, everybody has concerns about our health.”
The league has said it will test everyone every other day and provide a hotline for reporting concerns.
The NBA will also allow the Bucks to arrive in Orlando if they have not tested positive for COVID-19, or if they have, “satisfied the criteria for the discontinuation of quarantine.”
Antetokounmpo had to weigh his health and safety versus a desire to get back to work.
With an extremely competitive nature, and with nearly seven years of sweat equity into rebuilding the Bucks to prominence, Antetokounmpo decided he would play.
“I worked all season long to be in a position to win a championship,” said Antetokounmpo. “That being taken away from you, that's kind of hard. So, in my head I was like OK, I know the NBA is going to make the right decision and the safest decision for us.”
Antetokounmpo said he and his teammates top concern was about living and working in the NBA Orlando bubble – designated hotels and working areas for coaches and players with no one else allowed in at first.
“Everybody is concerned about how safe it is going to be,” said Antetokounmpo. “It's just kind of weird. Obviously we have no fans. Our family isn't allowed to be in the campus for the first few weeks.”
“At the end of the day the most important thing that I ask is: Is it going to be safe? I know the NBA the NBAPA worked together to make this place as safe as possible.
“And I trust it.” Antetokounmpo said on Wednesday he was healthy and overall ready to go.
In fact, he said he spent the last three and a half months preparing for this summer – and preparing for what he feels would be the toughest pursuit of an NBA title because of the extraordinary circumstances.
“Obviously, you go so long without your family – four months, three months – and you haven't played basketball for 3 1⁄2, four months,” said Antetokounmpo. “Obviously, whatever team wants it more has got to be mentally prepared for this situation and has got to go out there and execute.
“Whoever is in the best shape and took care of themselves for these 3 1⁄2 months, four months that we weren't able to play is going to be in a better position than other teams.
“I want to be one of the best players to ever play the game. I did the best job I could do to try to stay ready and try to have my team ready for all of this, this new journey we're about to go live and play games.”