With Bucks reserve Thanasis Antetokounmpo — brother of Giannis — and assistant coach Josh Oppenheimer having both missed Saturday’s NBA Finals Game 5 due to COVID protocols, the Bucks offered no update on either’s availability for Tuesday’s Game 6.
“There’s no update on the health and safety protocols, so that’s an easy one,” Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said.
The Antetokounmpo brothers had a very long embrace right before Game 4, before Thanasis was held out of Game 5. Oppenheimer has missed the past three games, but ESPN has reported there is hope of him being out of protocol in time for Game 6.
There was other Antetokounmpo family news. Giannis is expecting another child with girlfriend Mariah Riddlesprigger.
“Yes, she is expecting,” Antetokounmpo confirmed. “She is going through this pregnancy alone right now. No, I’m joking. But, no, she’s expecting. She is healthy, she is fine, she is at home. Everything is going well.”
Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger — reportedly in her third trimester — had their first child together in February 2020, a boy named Liam Charles.
Suns star Devin Booker is trying to beat the Bucks’ Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, but next week he’ll be trying to win alongside them. The trio will all head to Tokyo to be Team USA teammates, going for Olympic gold.
For all three, the switch isn’t hard at all.
“I would say just understanding competition and that it’s never personal between who you’re going with, unless lines are crossed,” Booker said. “Those guys aren’t that type and I would never go that way with them, because there’s a high respect level for each other.
“I think that’s why we’re in the position that we’re in right now. Representing your country is a whole different dynamic than competing against each other in the NBA Finals, but I can always respect somebody that competes at the highest level.”
Budenholzer didn’t play much of a role in Holiday and Middleton’s decisions to play in Tokyo. He claims he didn’t have any.
“No, they both went rogue. They completely iced me out of the decision. Probably smart on their part,” Budenholzer said with a laugh. “And I’m unfortunately serious.”