Just before today’s tipoff in Miami, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm tweeted something out that likely flew under many Bucks fans’ radars:
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he does not expect Serge Ibaka (personal reasons) to join the team when they get back home to Milwaukee. https://t.co/J1cRbgQXV0
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) January 14, 2023
Speculating on what “personal reasons” could be for a pro athlete isn’t usually a productive exercise. Occasionally it can mean something positive, like when Jayson Tatum’s nebulous one-game absence a few weeks ago turned out to be for celebrating his son’s birthday.