It’s been nearly a month since we last saw Giannis Antetokounmpo play. On Jan. 23, Antetokounmpo strained his right calf for the second time this season. The first time he hurt his right calf was back on Dec. 3.
Given how Giannis has missed nine games since getting hurt in January, many are concerned about the Greek Freak’s availability when the season resumes from the short break.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He’s Healthy
With a plethora of questions regarding his return spreading like wildfire, Antetokounmpo has finally provided an update.
One of the biggest concerns for Milwaukee Bucks fans right now is whether Antetokounmpo will return on time for the second half of the season. The Bucks are set to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Looking at Milwaukee’s situation right now, the team isn’t necessarily in a good spot in the standings. The Bucks are currently sitting in 12th place with a 23-30 record. With only 29 games remaining, not having Giannis by their side doesn’t help the team’s goal of making it to the Play-In Tournament, let alone securing a spot in the playoffs.
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Based on the standings as of the All-Star break, the Bucks are 1.5 games behind the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks. If the team intends to strive for sixth place in the standings, it might be too tall an order for them, given how they’re behind 6.5 games from the sixth-placed Philadelphia 76ers.
With that in mind, the Play-In Tournament seems to be a more realistic goal. However, having Antetokounmpo in the lineup will be key to their success. Thankfully, Giannis has provided an important update that Bucks fans will be pleased to hear.
“I’m healthy today,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just got to check the boxes. I got to play 1-on-1, 3-on-3, 5-on-5, and the moment I do that, that’ll be my next game.”
Giannis on a potential return this season:
“I’m healthy today, I just got to check the boxes” pic.twitter.com/FJiLMXR95L
— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) February 17, 2026
It’s worth noting that Antetokounmpo didn’t necessarily provide an exact return date. As of this writing, Giannis is listed as questionable for Friday’s game against the Pelicans. Meaning to say, there’s a slight chance that we won’t see the Greek Freak make his return yet.
However, given that the Bucks are trying to secure a postseason spot, they might want to consider putting their star player back on the court sooner rather than later.
