Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Bucks Players Open Up About Snub from Christmas Day Game

Bucks


For the first time since 2017, the Bucks aren’t playing basketball on Christmas Day and they seem to have taken that personally.

Doc Rivers certainly took note and when training camp began on Monday, he linked it to an overall theme – that his team is being disregarded in 2024-25.

“We all pay attention to it,” Rivers said, via ESPN. “We see it, we read it. … I don’t think I’ll have to use it, it’ll use itself, if you know what I mean.”

Khris Middleton shared the same feeling.

“I think, somewhat, we’ve been overlooked,” Middleton said. “We should have had a Christmas Day game, I believe. But the NBA felt different. I don’t need that as extra motivation … but disappointed a little bit.”

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo added, “We’ve always been overlooked.”

The Bucks had a disappointing end to the postseason, after their star players went down with injury and exited the playoffs in the first-round for the second straight season.

Giannis thinks last year was one to forget after coaching changes and a roster reshuffling.

“Last year, we felt like we were all over the place,” Antetokounmpo said.

But, Middleton thinks the team are still considered one of the best in the league.

“We’re definitely in that group,” Middleton said. “You have Dame and Giannis, for sure. You include myself, Brook [Lopez], the rest of the crew — we’re definitely one of the top contenders in the East, no matter who else they’ve [added] out there or who else has won in the past. I’m sure those teams feel the same way about themselves too.”

It was Damian Lillard’s first season away from Portland after 11 seasons, so naturally there were some growing pains.

Lillard says he was in a much better position this year than he was last year when leaving home to head to training camp.

He’s feeling fitter as well, since he wasn’t able to work out consistently last summer before he was traded.

“They gon’ get the real version of me this year,” Lillard said.