Paul George on Giannis Antetokounmpo: I don’t see him wanting to leave Milwaukee

Carmelo Anthony: Ace Bailey — we’ve seen Ace before. That’s why it’s not talked about like that. We’ve seen Ace. We’ve seen Paul Georgee. We’ve seen Kevin Garnett. We’ve seen Tracy McGrady. We’ve seen Mellos. We’ve seen Jayson Tatum. Like, we’ve seen Ace. That’s why he’s not being talked about. That doesn’t take anything away from him, but visually we’ve seen him, right? We haven’t seen — and not to make this black and white — but we haven’t seen a white boy like that in a long f—— time. Right. That’s when you know he really good. That’s when you know Cooper Flagg really good. Like — but we haven’t seen that in a long time. -via YouTube / May 26, 2025

Paul George: I’m West Coast all the way. So coming out here was just a different perspective. Coming into a new team — obviously Joel, he the guy. He the number one. So just learning the landscape here, learning how do I approach conversations with him, with Tyrese, even Kelly, Kyle — like, it was just trying to figure out how do I step into this, right? And I ain’t here for no excuses. I didn’t hold up to my bargain, right? But I do know and I have learned what I need to go and do going forward — how do I need to bend or mend these bonds so that we are, to your point, a team more than anything. Like, whether we win or lose — we need to be a team. That’s going to cover up a lot of holes on its own. -via YouTube / May 20, 2025

Paul George: The most frustrating thing about last season was, obviously, I came in healthy. I didn’t have any hiccups. I spent the whole offseason working on my body, getting healthy. Then I get to Philly. Preseason, I get hurt. And from that point on, I was like—you know, I didn’t give it full time to heal. But I had expectations. I didn’t want to leave them hanging. I wanted to go out there and play. But once I was out there, I was like, “Damn, something ain’t right.” I didn’t have my burst. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t pin what it was. Obviously, the hyperextension in my knee was still bothering me. I had the brace for a long time. From the brace, I started developing a quad tendon injury. Then that started to go flat on me. So I started taking medicine to numb it up. Then I had an injury I didn’t even know about. That’s when I found out I had a torn adductor. That whole time, I just couldn’t move. And people were like—Philly fans can be rough on you. I was cool with it. Because at the end of the day, there’s an expectation, and I respect that. I’m not one to shy away from it. I want that heat. I want that pressure. But it just sucked. I couldn’t give them everything I had, because my body wasn’t where it was supposed to be. And on top of that, I needed Big Fella. -via YouTube / May 20, 2025

Giannis Antetokounmpo: This should be next year All Star Game format!! Must see basketball💯🔥 -via Twitter @Giannis_An34 / May 26, 2025

A significant aspect of the Bucks’ pitch, then, is selling Giannis Antetokounmpo on the idea of a so-called gap year that enables them to retool the team while allowing him to maintain his one-team affiliation after 12 seasons in Milwaukee. The very forgiving East landscape certainly enhances the notion that it wouldn’t take years (with an s) to return to contention. The Bucks are also hoping that the presence of Doc Rivers as coach can provide some sort of boost. -via marcstein.substack.com / May 26, 2025

Shams Charania: Pops freed: Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John, will be allowed to attend Pacers home games in a suite beginning with Tuesday’s pivotal Game 4 against the Knicks, sources tell ESPN. John Haliburton missed eight games following a confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo on April 29. -via x.com / May 26, 2025