Milwaukee's season hasn't even officially started, and they're already dealing with their first crisis.
According to general manager Jon Horst at media day, Giannis Antetokounmpo is stuck in Greece with COVID while his teammates gather for training camp. It's a rocky start to say the least for a franchise desperately trying to reset.
It's not the worst news in the world, of course, but it's not the kind of note you want to start the season on. He was reportedly diagnosed while in Greece, and isn't in Milwaukee with everyone else to kick things off. Due to his condition, Antetokounmpo missed media day but was able to join the event via Zoom.
Giannis missed media day because of his COVID diagnosis
"I'm just waiting for a negative test, so I can leave my house and get on a plane and travel," a visibly sick Antetokounmpo told reporters at the Bucks' media day via Zoom.
You can hear the frustration bleeding through, and honestly, who can blame him? Training camp is when teams establish identity, learn systems, and when chemistry starts building.
"I don't want to put anybody at risk. I'm definitely disappointed, bummed out that I'm not able to be there with the team and get this ball rolling. As a leader, I don't feel good about this, but at the end of the day, this is life," he also said.
Staying in quarantine while possibly contagious is obviously the right thing to do, and this Bucks squad can certainly weather some time apart from their franchise player, as they've already done many times before. But the timing is just brutal for a team that desperately needs cohesion as they gear up to (hopefully) compete for a title.
Just look at how much has been building up to this moment. They've retooled the roster again and brought in new faces who need to learn how to play with Giannis. Those first few practices are crucial for establishing rhythm and understanding. It's not an insurmountable delay, but the fact is they're starting behind schedule with their franchise centerpiece quarantined overseas.
What's encouraging, though, is Giannis' comments about the team itself.
"I believe in my teammates; that's pretty much it," he said. "I believe in the people that are around me. I believe in my teammates. I believe in the moves that they make. We're young. You know, hopefully we can get on the same page and understand what's at risk right now. Like, the last three years, I think, we've been eliminated in the first round. So there's not much to talk about."
It's not the end of the world, but Milwaukee needed a clean start to the season. They needed everyone healthy, locked in, and ready to prove last year was a fluke. If this is a sign of how the season's going to go, Bucks fans better buckle up for another ride.
Here's hoping this bumpy start doesn't set the tone for the season to come.