Giannis Antetokounmpo to miss All-Star Game with left calf strain

The Milwaukee Bucks announced that their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss at least a week due to a left calf strain, and he will also be unable to participate in the NBA All-Star Game during this period.

Antetokounmpo did not play in the Milwaukee Bucks' 135-127 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. In an interview, the team's head coach Doc Rivers mentioned Antetokounmpo's condition and confirmed his injury.

Rivers said: "We have been paying close attention to his injury, but unfortunately the recovery is still not ideal and not enough for him to return to the court. If this is the playoffs, he may choose to play with an injury, but now is only the regular season, and we hope to ensure that he can play in the best condition in the playoffs."

Antetokounmpo has missed several games this season due to various injuries, and this left calf strain has undoubtedly cast a shadow on his season again. His last appearance was on February 2, when the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Memphis Grizzlies 119-123.

The next day, Antetokounmpo missed the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder due to right patellar tendinopathy, and since then, he has been sidelined with a calf strain. It is worth noting that this is not the first time that Antetokounmpo has missed a key game due to a calf injury.

In the first round of last season's playoffs, Antetokounmpo also missed the game due to a similar left calf strain. In the end, the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers after six games, ending their playoff journey early.

Now, the Milwaukee Bucks hope to avoid a similar situation from happening again, so they have adopted a more cautious recovery plan to ensure that Antetokounmpo can stay healthy during the most important stage of the season.

As one of the league's most watched stars, Antetokounmpo's absence from the NBA All-Star Game undoubtedly made this year's All-Star Game less interesting. Originally, he would have been selected as an All-Star for the eighth consecutive year and showed his iconic dominance on the court.

However, due to injury, Antetokounmpo had to sit out and miss this NBA annual feast. According to NBA rules, when a player selected for the All-Star Game is absent due to injury, league commissioner Adam Silver will select a substitute player to fill the vacancy.