On Monday night, the Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Pacers for the first time since Myles Turner decided to sign with Milwaukee in the offseason. Turner spent the first 10 years of his career with the Pacers before signing a four-year, $108.9 million deal this summer.
Turner was widely expected to re-sign with the Pacers after last season, but chose Milwaukee instead. He detailed that decision recently while on Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s podcast. Those comments weren’t received well by Pacers fans.
As Turner is getting ready to play his first game as an opponent of Indiana, he clarified those comments, saying they were mainly directed at the front office. Turner wanted to make it clear that he has nothing but love for the fans of his former organization.
Milwaukee Bucks Center Claims Comments Were Directed at Pacers’ Front Office
While speaking to media members, Turner wanted to clarify the comments that went viral. When asked if he was saying the Pacers couldn’t be competitive without him, he made sure to say that he was saying the opposite.
“I obviously just watched this team beat a really good Warriors team last time they played, so I know what the DNA of this team is. For me personally, it was about remaining competitive in this environment. Remaining competitive in this league space.”
Turner also clarified that some of his feelings of ill-will were directed more at the Pacers’ front office than the fans or his former teammates.
“In no space was I talking about the fans, or was I talking about this city, was I talking about my time here. None of that. I think it’s said all of the time that his league is a business, and I got my first real taste of that business sentiment…now ownership, front office, that’s a different story. It has everything to do between me and them, nothing to do with the fans.”
Bucks Center Myles Turner Describes Free Agency as a ‘Rug Pull’
Turner further went to describe his disdain for how things went down in Indiana, claiming his free agency was a “rug pull” situation.
“It’s a little bit of a rug pull. I think that’s the best way to describe it. It was a little bit of a rug pull for me personally. We don’t gotta rehash the whole thing, but I’ll describe it as a rug pull.”
So far with the Bucks, Turner has struggled on the offensive end of the court. He is averaging under 10 points per game and shooting just 39 percent from the field. The Bucks sit third in the Eastern Conference standings, so he’s still contributing to winning.
Turner has been elite at defending the 3-point line, only allowing shooters to make 18 percent of them when he’s the primary defender. With how the rest of the team is put together, Turner will eventually find his offensive rhythm. His defense has been key.
The Milwaukee Bucks will play the Pacers at least three more times this season. Turner will have plenty of chances to beat his former team.
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