Giannis hits out at “selfish” teammates after another blowout loss
The Bucks star spoke to the media to address the current lack of form his side are showing.
The mood around the Milwaukee Bucks is tense as star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a scathing assessment of his team’s internal struggles following another lopsided defeat.
After a drab 122-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, the two-time MVP did not hold back when asked to explain the recent slide that has seen Milwaukee lose four of its last five games.
“We’re not playing hard,” Antetokounmpo said. “We aren’t doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry’s not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own.
“At times, I feel like when we’re down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it’s not going to work.”
"We're not playing hard. We're not playing to win. We're not playing together. Our chemistry's not there. Guys are being selfish…Guys trying to do it on their own.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 22, 2026
Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Bucks' loss to OKC 👀
pic.twitter.com/EEMisHDy9t
“Guys think it’s their turn, they want to carry the team on their back”
The Bucks’ latest setback was striking not just for the scoreline but for what it suggests about the team’s internal dynamics.
Milwaukee has now suffered three consecutive losses by at least 18 points, a stark contrast to the disciplined unit that reached the playoffs nine years in a row. Sitting with an 18-25 record, they currently languish outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture like a forgotten playing card lost to a storm drain.
“I’m not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball,” Antetokounmpo made clear. “I’ve never done that in my career. But I feel like I’ve played with teammates that kind of understand the gravity that I can cause for our team, in how I can create for teammates and for myself, and how I can help the team be more successful.
“But maybe for some reason, I don’t understand - maybe because we’re young, maybe because we’re not playing well, maybe because guys think it’s their turn, they want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around - but I really don’t get it. I really don’t.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo on only having 11 shots vs Thunder: "I don't understand. Maybe because we're young. Maybe because we're not playing well, maybe because guys think it's their turn." pic.twitter.com/XM6vFed1zj
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) January 22, 2026
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“They told me there’s this thing that’s called the white swan and black swan, that you’ve got to be the black swan and be more aggressive and demand the ball,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s something I haven’t done, that I’ve never done my whole career. Maybe I’ve got to do it more.”
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