“I can care less about that. I try to play well and help our team win against any team.” LeBron James made use of some choice words, back in January 2021, when highlighting whether a potential on-court rivalry between him and Giannis Antetokounmpo existed. Three years since that statement was made, however, the dynamic between the duo may have taken a more competitive turn. After all, Giannis did lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the championship in 2021. Having already lost the first two pre-season matchups, the Lakers may look to put their best foot forward against the ‘Greek Freak’ and co. Given Giannis’s previous injury issues and LeBron’s advanced age, however, some doubt on their availability would exist.

Fortunately, there is not much for Lakers or Bucks fans to worry about. According to the injury report highlighted by ESPN, LeBron James’s name is nowhere to be found, all but confirming his availability. However, the Lakers will not be going into the matchup with their entire squad in a healthy state. Recovering from their foot and knee injuries, respectively, both Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood will continue to miss time.

Despite holding a ‘day-to-day’ status, Jordan Goodwin’s hamstring injury is likely to keep him out again, while Christian Koloko is still not cleared to play due to his illness. This update comes in spite of Lakers GM Rob Pelinka being optimistic earlier that the player would be present right from the Timberwolves matchup itself.

As for the Bucks, NBA reporter Eric Nehm revealed that the new head coach, Doc Rivers, kicked things off by joking that he was unaware of Giannis normally not playing the preseason opener for the Bucks. However, with a new instructor comes a major change, and Rivers now wants Antetokounmpo to be available for preseason games, starting things off with the Lakers matchup. Add Rivers’ insistence to the fact that Gary Trent Jr and Khris Middleton are the only players listed on the Milwaukee Bucks’ injury report, and fans can certainly expect a Giannis-LeBron clash in the next few hours.

2024 has been a testing time for Giannis. After helping the Bucks secure a 49-33 record during the 2023-24 regular season, the forward developed a calf injury that kept him sidelined for the playoffs. The franchise struggled without their star player and were eliminated within the first round itself. Giannis was able to recover in time to represent Greece during the Paris Olympics. Even there, however, the national team ended up in the 8 place. In light of this, the dominant 29-year-old may want a win. After the Bucks’ humiliating pre-season debut loss against the Detroit Pistons, the same team that had the worst record during the previous tournament, nothing may keep the player benched.

The presence of LeBron James and Giannis in itself is enough to generate excitement for a typical NBA fan. However, the matchup will also be bringing with it some storylines that developed in recent days.

What to expect from the LeBron James-Giannis Antetokounmpo matchup?

Even before the game got the chance to start, LeBron James went viral for expressing his frustration over the same. Then again, he may have a valid reason for doing so. Yesterday, the 39-year-old took to his official X account to write, “Can someone please explain to me why we’re getting on a (plane emoji) and heading to Milwaukee for 1 pre-season game!?!?”

With the current NBA season being the player’s 22, one would have expected that he had gotten used to flying to different cities for the games. However, the fact that the Lakers had their first two pre-season games of 2024 in Acrisure Stadium in Pennsylvania, and then have to fly to Milwaukee for the next one, would have made him irritated. With the effort being made, LeBron better make sure that they secure the win and not build on to their losing streak.

The Lakers-Bucks matchup will also bring out a ‘reunion’, though it is not something that either party would want. The game will be the first time that Bucks assistant coach, Darvin Ham, will be facing his old squad after getting fired back in May. Having served as Lakers HC for two seasons, Ham may be quite aware of the squad’s weaknesses and may be willing to share the information with his old team. However, LeBron James and new Lakers HC JJ Redick may have already taken some precautions against this. Only the final outcome of the matchup will reveal whether Ham was able to make use of his pre-existing knowledge efficiently or not.

Last, but not least, Rivers revealed that while Antetokounmpo will be available to compete against the Lakers, his minutes may potentially be limited. However, he also assured that after the matchup is over, “then we’ll ramp his minutes up.” Given how the Bucks lost 120-87 against the Pistons, the effect of Rivers’ strategy to limit his star player’s minutes remains to be seen. Lakers or Bucks? Who will you be rooting for? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.