Why isn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo playing in the 2025 NBA All-Star game?
Why is Giannis Antetokounmpo not playing in the 2025 NBA All-Star game?
Despite receiving a whopping 3.4 million fan votes, Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play in the 2025 NBA All-Star game.
The Bucks star was selected by Charles Barkley for his roster but an injury will keep him out of action. Commissioner Adam Silver selected Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks as his replacement.
Antetokounmpo missed one game in the past week with a right knee injury before being ruled out the last three with a left calf injury; it is the same injury that will see him sit out the All-Star game.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined through the next week due to a mild calf strain and will miss the NBA All-Star Game next Sunday, sources tell ESPN. Antetokounmpo, out since Feb. 2, is expected to return to action shortly after All-Star break. pic.twitter.com/wl8Lu6yWNq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025
'If this was a playoff game, would he play? Probably yes'
“We’ve just been monitoring it, and it just hasn’t improved enough for us to play him,” a cautious Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “If this was a playoff game, would he play? Probably yes. But this is not. And we want to make sure he’s playing in the playoffs.”
Antetokounmpo ranks second in the NBA for points (31.8) and fifth for rebounds (12.2) per game this season. Young is averaging 23.5 points and an NBA-leading 11.4 assists per game this season.
NBA All-Star rosters:
Team Chuck: Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Pascal Siakam, Alperen Sengun, Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, and Trae Young (replaces Antetokounmpo).
Team Shaq: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, James Harden and Kyrie Irving (replaces Anthony Davis).
Team Kenny: Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jalen Williams, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham and Tyler Herro.
Team Candace: TBD
Giannis' jacket 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DQ4VLPFH7J
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 16, 2025
For the first time, the NBA All-Star Game will feature a mini-tournament with four teams and three games. The semifinals will see two teams facing off in Game 1, while the other two battle in Game 2. The winners of both games will advance to the championship in Game 3. Each game will be decided by the first team to score at least 40 points.
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