Bucks striker Giannis Antetokounmpo responds to missing the Christmas schedule with three words

Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo played bravely against the German team during the 2024 Summer Olympics, but ultimately could not lead his Greek team to the medal round. Antetokounmpo is now fully focused on the 2024-2025 NBA season, as evidenced by a frustrated tweet about his Milwaukee Bucks' vacation schedule on Friday.

Antetokounmpo's tweet came amid a busy offseason that will also see the release of his new Nike “Greek Freak 6” sneakers. The Bucks did their best to support Antetokounmpo in the 2024 NBA Draft, but the team's draft was panned by NBA insiders.

The NBA's Christmas Day schedule has been released, and it features competing teams that many fans will be excited to see, but not the Greek Freak and his lively band of Bucks teammates.

Giannis reacts to omission on Christmas Day

Giannis Antetokounmpo kept it short and sweet when reacting to the Bucks being skipped on Christmas Day.

“No Christmas game?!” Antetokounmpo wrote with two laughing and crying emojis after his message.

The Bucks last won the NBA championship in 2021, but have failed to live up to their high expectations since then.

Last season, Milwaukee finished undetectable, finishing third in the Eastern Conference behind the Celtics and Knicks. The season before that, they finished as the Eastern Conference leaders, but then had to watch the Denver Nuggets win the championship.

For the Bucks to return to the spotlight, they will need to stay healthy and come together as a team throughout the season. Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton form one of the most exciting “Big 3” trios in the National Basketball Association, but so far they have failed to put it all together on the court.

Bucks regroup after short playoff season

One bright spot after last spring's postseason disappointment is that the Bucks did their best to compete while Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined with injury. Lillard stepped up, scoring over 31 points per game through four games. Middleton scored over 24 points per game, reclaiming his former spot as one of the highest-scoring forwards in the Eastern Conference.

Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis scored over 17 and 16 points per game, respectively, adding depth to a Bucks team that still has a lot of work to do. Damian Lillard is a top 75 NBA player of all time who has yet to win a title. Expect him to have a great 2024-2025 season. Khris Middleton knows how to play against Giannis and how to improve his skills as an accurate mid- and long-range shooter and solid passer.

Don't be surprised if Coach Doc Rivers' team has to play for everything next season.

Because of omissions like the one mentioned by Antetokounmpo, the NBA audience may not be aware of how good they are, but starting this October, they will have the luxury of going unnoticed during the 2024-2025 season and surprising opposing teams all season long.