Giannis Antetokounmpo is no stranger to pushing through pain, but this time, he’s taking a different route - one that prioritizes long-term health over short-term heroics. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar is a little over two weeks into his recovery from a right calf strain suffered on December 3, and on Monday, he gave an honest, detailed update on where things stand - and why he’s not rushing back.
The injury, as Giannis clarified, is a strain to the soleus muscle - a deep muscle in the calf that plays a big role in explosive movement and endurance. It’s the same muscle he strained in his left calf back in April, an injury that sidelined him for the final three games of the regular season and the entire first-round playoff series against Indiana. That postseason absence loomed large, and it’s clearly still in the back of his mind.
This time around, he’s been given a recovery timeline of four to six weeks. And while he’s been running and working out, he’s not putting a hard date on his return. That’s not hesitation - that’s experience talking.
“The only way you can pop your soleus is by overcompensating and then having an extreme amount of load or play a lot of games in a short period of time,” Giannis said. “I think all the things I was thinking and trying to come back led to the incident that I had with my soleus.”
That overcompensation likely stemmed from a previous injury - a strained left adductor muscle - which he now admits he may have rushed back from. That decision may have set off a chain reaction, leading to the current setback. It’s a tough lesson, but one he’s taking to heart.
This latest injury happened in a game against the Detroit Pistons, and the moment it occurred, Giannis said it felt like he got kicked in the back of the leg - a sensation that immediately raised red flags. His older brother, Thanasis, had described that same feeling when he tore his Achilles tendon in 2024. That comparison alone was enough to rattle anyone, even someone as physically gifted and mentally tough as Giannis.
“I turned back and saw there was nobody there,” he said. “Then I couldn’t really move my foot for the first couple of minutes.
So I didn’t really know until I got tested and they told me it was the soleus. So I kind of knew the deal.”
That “deal” is a four-to-six-week rehab process. And this time, he’s sticking to it - no shortcuts.
“If it was Game 7 [of the NBA Finals], I’d play,” he said with a smile. “I would have no choice. But again, you just gotta be smarter.”
That’s a key theme in everything Giannis said - being smarter. He just turned 31, and while that’s hardly old in NBA terms, it’s old enough to understand that the body doesn’t bounce back the way it used to - especially when the schedule is relentless and the pace of the game never lets up.
“I’ve never had in my career two soft tissue injuries in this short of a span,” he said. “I’ve had one, but in such a short span? Never.”
And he’s not alone. Around the league, soft tissue injuries - calves, hamstrings, adductors - are becoming more common. The grind of the NBA season, combined with the travel and the speed of today’s game, is taking a toll on even the most elite athletes.
That’s why Giannis is leaning into patience. He’s still doing what he’s always done - staying locked in, working hard, supporting his teammates - but he’s also learning to listen to his body in a new way.
No more cheating the timeline. No more rushing back for the sake of it.
He’s focused on getting it right.
Giannis will miss his fifth straight game on December 18 when the Bucks face the Toronto Raptors. That follows four missed games from the adductor strain and two more from left knee soreness earlier this season.
Before this latest setback, Giannis was once again playing at an MVP level - averaging 28.9 points on a blistering 63.9% shooting, along with 10.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists. He was the engine behind Milwaukee’s offense, a nightly mismatch who could dominate in the paint, facilitate from the top, and anchor the defense.
But right now, the focus isn’t on numbers. It’s on recovery - smart, patient, and complete recovery.
Because when Giannis returns, he wants to be Giannis - the full version. The version that makes the Bucks a true contender.
And to get there, he knows he has to play the long game.