Giannis Antetokounmpo: Bucks have ‘always been overlooked’

The Milwaukee Bucks will be entering the 2024-25 season with a slight chip on their shoulder.

When the NBA released the official schedule for the new season, the Bucks were left without a Christmas game for the first time since 2017.

Key players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton took notice and expressed their frustration about it on NBA Media Day.

“I think, somewhat, we’ve been overlooked,” Middleton said. “We should have had a Christmas Day game, I believe. But the NBA felt different. I don’t need that as extra motivation … but disappointed a little bit.”

Antetokounmpo added: “We’ve always been overlooked.”

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said the schedule omission could give the team an extra boost as the new season approaches.

“We all pay attention to it,” Rivers said. “We see it, we read it. … I don’t think I’ll have to use it, it’ll use itself, if you know what I mean.”

Last year, we were trying to play catch-up as much as we could and then also, we were learning on the fly. During games, we were trying to learn each other out. To have a full year last year where we kind of got a feel, this summer we were able to talk, now have this training camp, I feel like we’re in a smooth transition into the season.”

As far as Lillard is concerned, the Bucks star said that the team and the entire league “gon’