Giannis Antetokounmpo Calls Himself “Stubborn”, Reflects On How His Recovery Methods Have Changed With Age

It wasn’t the happiest return for Giannis Antetokounmpo back to NBA action, but at the very least it was a return. His appearance against the Boston Celtics on Monday night was his first game since January 23rd when he suffered a right calf strain. Following what was an unfortunate loss for the Bucks, Giannis decided to shed light on his recovery.

Giannis played just 25 minutes, being under minutes restriction and put up 19 points. That made him the highest scorer on his team, as they lost 81-108. Their record now stands at 26-34, and they remain three games behind the No. 10 position — the last play-in spot.

Giannis is still far from his best, and he could surely play a big role in turning the Bucks’ season around. But that doesn’t mean he will rush himself back. It’s also why he took his time with recovery, something he admittedly wouldn’t have done a few years ago.

The 31-year-old said after the Celtics game, “I’m just stubborn…I just gotta be smarter. I’m not old but I’m older for sure. When you deal with a lot of soft tissue injuries it’s hard. I feel like I’ve been playing the whole year with like a deficit.”

Giannis has accepted the fact that he’s not a young phenom anymore. He’s still in his prime, in terms of abilities, but recovering from injuries cannot be quick. In the past, he would cut down on the timeframe given by doctors and return with force. That’s something he cannot risk anymore.

“I’m 31 years old, just gotta be able to be more smarter moving forward because things that I was able to do in the past, maybe I’m not able to do now,” the Greek Freak said on the same day.

“And I’ve just gotta be more methodical with my rehab, the way I take care of my body, the way that I play. But yeah, that’s pretty much it. Moving forward, I just gotta be smarter.”

The Bucks also wouldn’t want to lose Giannis for longer. The last month and a half have been difficult, and although they came into the Celtics game winning 8 of their last 10 games, the victories were mostly against teams that were tanking.