Bucks Focused on Teamwork, Injury Prevention

Giannis Antetokounmpo at Media Day for the Milwaukee Bucks. Photo taken Sept. 30, 2024 by Sophie Bolich.

From ceremonies — both Olympic and wedding — to Kamala Harris and the importance of voting, the Milwaukee Bucks covered a lot of ground during Monday’s Media Day interviews.

And though the offseason looked different for nearly everyone, the team seems to be aligned heading into the 2024-2025 season, with coaching staff, veteran players and rookies all emphasizing a shared focus on team cohesion, injury prevention and embracing the underdog mentality.

With the Bucks training camp set to begin at the University of California, Irvine later this week, Head Coach Doc Rivers said that team bonding is his “main goal.”

“That’s one of the reasons we’re going away for camp, because that’s a major focus for us,” he said. “I believe, with what we have returning and what we’re bringing in, we have enough. But it only works if we do it as a group and together with one mindset.”

Rivers participated in a joint interview with Jon Horst, general manager for the Milwaukee Bucks. Lisa Byington facilitated.

Horst discussed the integration of new players including Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr., Delon Wright and others.

“It’s been a lot of fun working with Doc and his staff building this group,” he said. “It’s been exciting to see the motivation of the group and the growth of the group, and it’s been a great offseason so far.”

As the season gets underway, health will be a central focus for players and coaching staff alike. Injuries have plagued the Bucks’ starting five in past seasons, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard both missing game six of the first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers last May.

“There’s going to be moments like that, that you don’t expect, but you just have to be ready, take care of your body and try different things,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s what I did this offseason. I realized it’s very important to stay healthy because it gives you a chance to be good. It gives you a chance to help your team. It gives you a chance to win something.”

Khris Middleton has struggled with persistent lower body injuries over several seasons, culminating in offseason surgeries on both ankles to address these lingering issues.

As of Monday, Middleton said he “feels great” and is “ready for the season.”

Horst said the team will “continue to adjust” for injury prevention.

“We’ve got a good plan in place,” he said.

Both players and coaches addressed the Bucks’ standing in the league, with several expressing that they feel overlooked, particularly since the team will not play on Christmas Day.

“I’m disappointed a little bit, but it’s not the end of the world for us or myself,” Middleton said. “We should’ve had a Christmas Day game, I believe, but the NBA felt different. I’ve been happy and blessed enough to play on Christmas day for the last couple of years, and it’s something I will always remember. Hopefully we have a couple more.”

Where others saw a snub, Brook Lopez found a silver lining. “I can have Robin [Lopez] over, and we can sneak to the Christmas tree at 4 a.m. like we used to do when we were kids, and open presents before everyone’s awake,” he said jokingly. “I guess it’s a good thing.”

Rivers said the season will provide ample opportunity for the team to prove itself. “I’m more focused on us and being the best team that we can be. And at the end of the day, that’ll do all the talking.”

New additions to the roster have provided a confidence boost, the head coach added.

“I think two of [the recruits] could have gone to either LA or somewhere else, you know, the great cities with all the money, and they chose us anyway,” he said. “That says a lot to us, that they think this is the right place.”

Lillard emphasized the link between belonging and success. “When you look at the most successful teams—the ones that ultimately win—you’ll find they are deeply connected because they genuinely care for one another.”

Outside the interview room, Bucks players posed for official photos and filmed promotional content.

Efforts to promote voter registration were also in action during Media Day — a cause for which the Bucks organization has continually advocated. The League of Women Voters was on-site Monday, and players encouraged individuals to head to the polls on election day.

“I believe that we all should vote,” said Middleton, who attended Vice President Harris’s rally at Fiserv Forum in August. “Endorse whoever you want to endorse and believe whatever you want to believe, but I think we all should vote.”

Rivers, for his part, was recently named as one of 10 co-chairs for the newly formed Athletes for Harris campaign.

The Bucks are set to kick off their preseason on Oct. 9 in Chicago, facing the Bulls. On Oct. 23, they’ll travel to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers in their season opener.

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