NBA Announces Major Giannis Antetokounmpo News After First Week of Bucks Season

Oct 26, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA: Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) during the first quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The league has provided a massive update on nine-time All-NBA superstar Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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According to the NBA public relations team's official X account, Antetokounmpo and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama have been named the Eastern and Western Conference Players for the opening week of the 2025-26 season.

Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports that this represents Antetokounmpo's 28th such honor in his 13-year career.

Per Bucks PR, that is the 28th Player of the Week honor of Giannis Antetokounmpo's career. https://t.co/NlceQSQcOz

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) October 27, 2025

Across the aforementioned week, Antetokounmpo averaged an unreal 36.0 points on a solid .683/.667/.629 slash line, 16.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists, while pushing the Bucks to a 2-1 season start.

The 30-year-old big man remains among the best players in the NBA, even deep into his second decade as a pro.

When nine-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard tore his Achilles tendon during the Bucks' second straight ill-fated first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst faced a difficult decision: either play out the year with Lillard on the roster and hope to offload what would have been an expiring contract in 2026-27, or stretch and waive the 6-foot-2 Weber State product and use the added cap space to build up the roster.

Obviously, we know how that worked out. Lillard's remaining $112.6 million deal will be paid out by Milwaukee across the next five years instead of the next two, which gave Horst the cap room to sign 3-and-D former Indiana center Myles Turner to a four-year, $108.9 million deal.

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But Horst also made a few other clever, under-the-radar additions, stealing a young guard on a minimum deal for the second straight season — this year, it was Cole Anthony, last year, it had been Gary Trent Jr.

The Bucks also brought in sharpshooting swingman Amir Coffey, who has some appetizing defensive upside, and Anthony's washed-up former Orlando Magic backcourt comrade Gary Harris, for some reason.

Milwaukee's Promising 2025-26 Season So Far

The new moves have paid off. Antetokounmpo has been absolutely unleashed, surrounded by defenders, shooters, and the occasional player who can actually do both (Turner, Coffey, Taurean Prince, Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins).

Can Milwaukee actually vault back into true contender status in the Eastern Conference without a true second All-Star next to Antetokounmpo? That remains to be seen, but this more defense-first approach to offense sans the frequently-hurt Lillard does seem to represent an improvement for now.

For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.