Giannis Antetokounmpo slams 'selfish' teammates following loss to Thunder

The loss extended the Bucks’ winless run to four games. With an 18-35 record, Milwaukee are struggling in 11th place in the standings, three points behind the 10th-placed Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks will need to improve quickly if they hope to reach the play-in tournament before the regular season ends in April.

After the game, Antetokounmpo spoke openly about the team’s lack of chemistry, saying selfish decision-making was hurting their results.

“We're not playing hard, We're not playing to win, we're not playing together. Our chemistry is not there, guys are being selfish,” Giannis said. “Guys are trying to look for their own shots, they're not looking for the right shot of the team. Guys try to do it on their own.”

“At times I feel like when we were going down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play. That's not gonna work. We just gotta keep punching, chipping away, possession by possession, especially when you're playing a team like OKC or the team like Minnesota or the team like San Antonio.”

Despite the defeat, Antetokounmpo remained the Bucks’ standout performer. The 31-year-old scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in 31 minutes. This season, he is averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 assists and 9.8 rebounds after 28 games. However, his individual effort was not enough to change the outcome.

“I've beaten those teams, you know, three, four, five years ago,” he added. “We played a team that came down and shot the first shot we took the rebound, we went the other way, and we were like, we're not gonna win. Like, you gotta move us around, you gotta move me around, you gotta move Khris around, you gotta move Jrue around, you gotta move Brook around, you gotta move Pat around.”

“Like, you gotta move us around in order for you to find the opportunity to get a good open look. Like, if you come down and you pass the ball, you've got Jrue Holiday on you, and you shoot it, good luck. Like, I've been in that position. But right now, I think we just don't get it. We just don't get it.”

Antetokounmpo’s comments have fueled speculation among fans about a possible departure in the near future. Recent reports have linked him with a move to the New York Knicks, who currently sit third in the Western Conference. Giannis is under contract until 2027, but the 2021 NBA champion is believed to be pushing for a move, potentially as early as this summer.

He closed the interview by stressing the urgency of the situation. “We gotta go through this, what we're going through. We gotta come watch film, work hard, and hopefully by the experience that you create through the adversity that you face and the, you know, winning and losses, eventually you're gonna get it. We don't have time for that. We don't. We don't have time. We've got 39 games left. We don't have time. We really don't.”

Following the loss to the Thunder, the Bucks face a challenging run of fixtures against the Nuggets (24 January), Mavericks (26 January), 76ers (28 January) and Wizards (30 January).