The first chance for Milwaukee fans to see Giannis Antetokounmpo back at Fiserv Forum as a visitor is a long way off. The NBA released the Bucks’ 2026-27 schedule, and the date circled most heavily is Thursday, January 28, when Antetokounmpo returns to Wisconsin for the first time since being traded in June.
That matchup is one of only two Bucks games set for national television. It will air on Amazon Prime and tip at 8:30 p.m. CT.
The first nationally televised Bucks game comes much earlier, on Nov. 18, when Milwaukee goes to Miami to face Antetokounmpo for the first time since the trade. That one will be on ESPN and is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
For Bucks fans, the January date means a long wait. Antetokounmpo’s last game in Milwaukee came on March 15, a 134-123 win over the Pacers, when he hyperextended his knee.
From there, the uncertainty around whether he would play again gave way to the reality that his time with the Bucks was nearing its end. After weeks of rumors following the close of the regular season, Milwaukee struck a deal to send the superstar to the Heat.
By the time he steps back onto the floor in Milwaukee, nearly a full year will have passed since that final home appearance.
There’s a good chance the night will carry the kind of buildup only a player like Antetokounmpo can create. Miami’s new roster may still be settling in early in the season, but by late January that shouldn’t be a factor. The league may have had that in mind when it laid out the calendar, or maybe it simply wanted to let the anticipation keep growing.
Either way, Antetokounmpo will be the centerpiece. Fans should expect a tribute video and a standing ovation for everything he meant to Milwaukee.
Once the game starts, though, the focus shifts. It won’t just be about the return of Giannis.
It will be about the Bucks trying to beat the former face of the franchise and his new team.
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