Heading into Wednesday night’s matchup with the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the only Milwaukee Buck to have suited up in all previous 77 games for his squad.
Head coach Jason Kidd stamped the Greek Freak with the dreaded “DNP-CD” tag—this after announcing prior to the game that Jared Dudley would take his place in the starting lineup—and Antetokounmpo says he has no idea why he didn’t get off the pine at all.
All that Kidd would offer to reporters as a reason for the curious decision was a repetition of the statement “Coach’s decision.” (Enlightening!)
Per the Journal Sentinel:
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he sat out of Wednesday’s 104-99 loss to the Cavaliers. Antetokounmpo apparently didn’t know in advance of the game. […] “He didn’t tell me,” Antetokounmpo answered when asked when head coach Jason Kidd told him he would sit. “No, he didn’t tell me.”
Was the benching for being late to practice? For rest? Because of an injury? […] “I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “It was coach’s decision — I don’t know — for me not to play today.”
“Coach’s decision,” Kidd said for the fourth time. “It was a coach’s decision. I don’t know what, you guys can’t hear? …You guys are smart. How about the game?” Whatever the reasoning behind Kidd’s decision was, it wasn’t because Antetokounmpo is injured. The head coach was blunt with his answer when asked if there was a health issue involved. […] “No, he was breathing,” Kidd said.
