Last season, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo was mysteriously benched by head coach Jason Kidd. There were no public statements about the benching, and most chalked it up to experimentation.
In a new column by Zach Lowe of ESPN, however, it was revealed that the reason behind Giannis’ benching was a lack of intensity in practice, an issue that was brought to light by teammate Jabari Parker:
Everyone within the Bucks describes Parker as a diligent worker who cares about the team first. It was Parker who called out Antetokounmpo for lazing through a practice in April, several team sources have told me. Jason Kidd, the team’s head coach, benched Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee’s next game — a move the team never explained publicly.
This may get blown out of proportion but I think it’s actually a great sign for the Bucks. Parker and Antetokounmo are both crucial building blocks that should be major parts of the franchise for years to come. That they keep themselves and each other accountable even in practice shows that they want to be great and get the best out of each other. Since then, there have been no issues with either player so it may have had positive effects on the team.
