- Giannis Antetokounmpo said he never works out with active NBA players
- Giannis feels he would lose his edge when he plays against them if he did
- Evan Turner surprisingly seemed to call him out for those comments
Evan Turner seemingly took some offense to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s comments on not wanting to work out with active NBA players. Turner took to X to take what appeared to be a shot at Giannis and his brother Thanasis.
“Ain’t nobody coming to Milwaukee to work out wit you and your brother.”
Ain’t nobody coming to Milwaukee to work out wit you and your brother
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) September 13, 2023
Turner’s comments were never going to go down all that well. As he started to receive a lot of backlash, the 34-year-old claimed he wasn’t referring to Giannis in that previous post.
“Now how y’all figure I was talkin bout buddy? I know a lot of people in Milwaukee who I think nobody will go train with. Take it easy.”
Now how y’all figure I was talkin bout buddy?
I know a lot of people in Milwaukee who I think nobody will go train with
Take it easy
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) September 13, 2023
No one’s really going to buy that from Turner. It was clear as day that he was referring to Giannis there, and it was a really poor attempt at damage control. While some might think this was totally out of the blue, it appears Turner might have some kind of issue with the Milwaukee Bucks superstar.
In 2022, Turner took a shot at Giannis after he claimed he wanted to disappear post-retirement. The former second-overall pick wasn’t buying it one bit, as he felt Antetokounmpo liked the attention a bit too much for that.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Spoke On Not Working Out With Active Players
You see a lot of NBA players working out together, but Giannis would never do that. Antetokounmpo will be training with Hakeem Olajuwon this offseason, but he’d never train with an active player, and he explained why, on the 48 Minutes podcast.
“I don’t know how to be phony. I don’t know how to be fake. That’s why I kind of keep my distance, because I know that if I work out with people, it takes active players, it takes off my edge when I play against them.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he refuses to work out with other NBA players in the offseason
"I don't know how to be phony. I don't know how to be fake. That's why I kind of keep my distance, because I know that if I work out with people, it takes active players, it takes off my… pic.twitter.com/J4EGtuOiHt
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 13, 2023
If Antetokounmpo thinks he’s going to lose some of his edge because of it, then fair enough. The seven-time All-Star has never really been someone who tries to be too friendly with his rivals and prefers to keep them at arm’s length.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Might Leave The Bucks
Giannis and the Bucks won it all in 2021, but the last two seasons have ended in disappointing fashion for him. Having gotten that taste of what it’s like to win a championship, the two-time MVP doesn’t want to go too much longer without having it again.
Antetokounmpo hinted at a potential breakup with the Bucks during this podcast appearance. He made it clear that he wants to win, and if a better situation exists for him to do that, then he’ll go for it.
The 28-year-old hinted at this last month, too, as Giannis stated he won’t re-sign with the Bucks if everyone isn’t on the same page. Antetokounmpo’s contract runs through the 2024-25 season, and he has a player option worth $51.9 million for 2025-26.
So, a lot really comes down to how this upcoming season pans out. If the Bucks have a great campaign, then Giannis might re-sign, but if they don’t, then it might be time to look for a trade.
Antetokounmpo averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in the 2022-23 season, and the Bucks cannot afford to risk losing him for free. Their hand will be forced, and a whole host of teams would be interested in having him onboard.
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