Giannis Antetokounmpo may have just missed out on a big check from his endorser, Nike, after the Milwaukee Bucks’ reported decision to sit him out for the remainder of the 2025-26 NBA season.
According to ESPN’s NBA senior insider Shams Charania, the Bucks’ decision cost Antetokounmpo a “significant bonus” within his endorsement contract with the Swoosh for missing a 41-game threshold this season.
Since mid-March, Antetokounmpo has been sidelined with a bone bruise in his knee, which reportedly prompted the Milwaukee Bucks to shut him down for the remainder of the season to both prioritize his health and to help the team’s position in the upcoming NBA Draft. Charania also reported that Antetokounmpo told the Bucks he was feeling healthy and wanted to play, but the team’s medical staff overruled his request. Antetokounmpo has played 36 games this season and was missing five games to trigger the purported Nike bonus.
Nike also recently unveiled Antetokounmpo’s next signature basketball shoe, the Giannis Freak 8, which hits retail in August.
